Telekom Slovenije and its partners Kolektor Sisteh, DS Meritve, CMC Group and Infotim Rižišnik Perc have set up a pilot project for Rižana Waterworks Koper providing remote water meter reading at more than 100 locations in Koper, Izola and Podgorje. The solution makes it possible to monitor usage and provide a more detailed calculation of supplied water, a more detailed monitoring of the water distribution system, to optimise water resource management, to monitor use digitally, to identify any malfunctions or water loss, and to quickly respond to any potential water leaks. The use of advanced technologies allows the system to remotely read the water meters even at a distance of several kilometres, and it also works where wireless reading is otherwise more difficult, such as water ducts (laid deep, enclosed in reinforced concrete and under a metal cover), and areas where network coverage is poor. All the data that the system collects is securely stored in Slovenia, in Telekom Slovenije's data cloud. This is the first such system in Slovenia.
The pilot project provides an extremely useful insight into optimum technological solutions that will primarily benefit the Rižana Waterworks Koper, and also be available to other utility companies. The solutions for infrastructure providers will be tailored to each individual client and their existing infrastructure.
"At the Rižana Waterworks Koper we aim to take advantage of modern technological solutions and digitalise our operations, as this makes it possible to improve efficiency and also become more user friendly. Advanced technologies allow us to manage our precious water resources with even more care, to detect loss and changed usage habits, and in the future, we will also be able to use these solutions to detect if any customer faces a major spillage. We collaborate on development with partners that have the know-how, experience and the desire to utilise modern technology for simplifying water meter reading," emphasised Martin Pregelj, the Director of Rižana Waterworks Koper.
"When introducing comprehensive solutions, it is especially important to be able to adapt and to have practical experience, and this makes pilot projects especially important. Partners on the project used various IoT technologies for establishing connectivity between the water meters and the network, and different types of water meters, and together with the Rižana Waterworks Koper we paid a special focus on making sure that the system remains robust also at the so-called edge conditions, such as ducts and other similar areas," added Samo Turk, Development Director at Telekom Slovenije.
Telekom Slovenije and its partners are developing a solution for remotely reading water meters, which makes it possible for utility companies to digitalise their water meters and establish a system for automatically monitoring the usage and conditions. The solution also includes a system for efficient management and optimization of distribution and delivery of utilities, such as water, heat and gas in real time. The implementation is simple: upgrading the existing water meters, as the whole system can be upgraded gradually, in accordance with the planned periods of regular meter calibration.