Digital meters enable Unitywater to detect customer side leaks in near real-time, so that we can alert customers to take action and avoid costly increases in water usage on their next bill. More than 10,000 customers who received a digital water meter during the trial have collectively saved $3 million off their water bills, through the early detection of leaks on their property.
How to read a digital water meter
Watch video: How to read a digital water meter
Watch video: How to read a mechanical meter with a logger
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Locate your digital meter - it is usually in a water meter box, in or just above ground at the front of your property.
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Lift the lid on the meter - the screen will turn on. The meter has a sensor that activates the display in sufficient light. If there is insufficient light, use a torch to activate the display.
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If the display does not turn on with ample light, wipe it with a dry cloth to remove any dust, and if it still does not work contact us.
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The digital display shows the total amount of water used on your property since the date your digital meter was installed. This is shown in kilolitres (kL) to 5 decimal places, for example the reading below is 91.56881 kilolitres or 91,568.81 litres.
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Locate your digital water meter - t is usually in a water meter box, in or just above ground at the front of your property.
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You have a digital water meter logger, so your meter reading is found on your mechanical meter, which sits under the logger as shown.
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This shows the total amount of water used on your property since the date your mechanical water meter was installed. The black numbers are kilolitres (kL) and the red numbers are litres, for example, the reading shown below is 989.922 kilolitres or 989,922 litres.
Find out more about water efficiency
Digital meter FAQs
Like a standard mechanical meter, a digital meter counts the volume of water used on your property as the water flows through it. Unlike a mechanical meter, a digital meter records a reading every 15 minutes and transmits the data to Unitywater daily via a digital communication network. There are two different types of digital meter devices:
- A digital logger that sits on top of your mechanical meter
- A digital meter that replaces your mechanical meter
These devices are powered by a long-life battery, so they continue working during a power outage. Unitywater is notified automatically if the device fails.
While your existing mechanical water meter is read by a meter reader four times a year, a digital water meter captures your water meter readings frequently throughout each day (every 15 minutes), and transmits this data to Unitywater on a daily basis.
In the future, this extra data will give you a more detailed understanding of your water usage patterns and help you notice any significant or unusual changes. It will also be used to alert you to water leaks on your property (e.g. dripping taps, running toilets, broken pipes), especially concealed leaks that are hidden underground, in walls or other parts of your property.
After your digital water meter is installed, you will still be able see the water meter readings on the face of the water meter, so you can still take regular meter readings and use our handy online tool My Usage Tracker to keep an eye on your water usage between bills.
My Usage Tracker is available to online in My Account.
Digital water meters will also help us to identify leaks in our Unitywater infrastructure and improve the operational efficiency of our wider water supply network, so we can keep our customers and community safe and healthy, and keep customer bills as low as possible.
For water meter logger installation, there is no water outage
For digital water meter installation, the water is usually turned off for less than 15 minutes and we will notify you at least three days before installation.
Our contractor will also knock on your door when they arrive to see if you are home and tell when your water will be turned off. If you have any concerns, please use the contact details on the notification card or contact us.
We've rolled out 10,500 digital water meters to date and will keep you informed about the process. After your digital water meter is installed, you can still your readings on the face of the meter. You can also use our handy online Usage Tracker in My Account to monitor your water usage between bills.
No personal information is transmitted from your digital water meter. The data that is transmitted only includes the smart water meter serial number, timestamp and total amount of water used in kilolitres. Any data that Unitywater receives from a digital water meter or logger with be treated in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Australian data security requirements.
Every batch of digital water meter devices that enters Australia is subject to very strict testing by Australian Government authorities to ensure it complies with relevant Australian Standards.
Digital water meter data is transmitted as an encrypted radio signal. The energy emitted from the device is just a tiny fraction of the energy from a normal mobile phone or a digital electricity meter - in fact, it’s only as much as one click of an automatic garage door.
Digital water meters have been in place in many locations around Australia and the world for some years, and there are no known health issues associated with their use.
If we suspect high water usage or a possible leak at your property, we will continue to alert you to this in the same way as we currently do for all our customers. Digital data enables us to alert customers sooner to help avoid higher bills, but it is the property owner’s responsibility to find and repair any leaks on their property and pay for any excess water usage caused by the leak. We recommend you follow our easy step-by-step guide to check for leaks regularly between bills.
