The municipal company Aguas de Cádiz has entrusted Telefónica Tech, Telefónica’s digital business unit, with the transformation of more than 4,000 water meters into smart meters with the aim of promoting more efficient and sustainable water resource management and distribution. This initiative is part of the WATERCOG-PC project for the digital transformation of the urban water cycle, managed by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (PERTE) and financed with NextGeneration EU funds.
Telefónica Tech has supplied its Smart Water solution, in collaboration with meter manufacturer Contazara, to provide Aguas de Cádiz with more accurate information on the status of its facilities. The project involves the deployment of meters connected with NB-IoT technology to continuously and automatically communicate consumption data to a platform for remote processing and management.
NB-IoT connectivity allows the information collected from the meters to be transferred with low data consumption, high signal penetration and propagation even in remote or difficult-to-access locations (such as basements or meter rooms) and reduced energy consumption by ensuring that the batteries last at least 12 years.
The digitisation of meters will provide Aguas de Cádiz with a wealth of information for making business decisions based on data analysis. On the one hand, smart meters provide hourly consumption data, as opposed to the bi-monthly or quarterly readings taken by traditional meters, which will make it easier for the management company to bill more accurately.
On the other hand, the analysis of all the information collected will enable Aguas de Cádiz to anticipate possible infrastructure failures, detect leaks early, control unauthorised consumption and identify anomalies in the consumption of vulnerable groups.
Jose Manuel Cossi, president of Aguas de Cádiz, says: “Initially, meters in a specific neighbourhood will be replaced as a pilot project, as well as those in homeowners’ associations and some public services, especially those used for watering parks and gardens. At the same time, the company’s operations are being transformed, which will enable it to handle the large volume of data from both sensor devices and remote management meters that will provide hourly consumption data. After evaluating and adapting this pilot project, we will continue to replace all the meters in the city progressively and in phases.”
Carlos Carazo, Global Director of Product, Technology and IoT Operations at Telefónica Tech, says: “Our smart meter solution is transforming the management of public services, having a positive impact on both the service provided to citizens and the environment. Remote reading and data analysis allows us to analyse consumption patterns and detect anomalies in the network, but also to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating physical travel.”
