1. Existing water meter setup

A  meter reader physically visits a property every 3 months to take a water meter reading. We compare this reading to the previous water meter reading, and use the difference to calculate the next bill.

2. Digital water meter trial

We’ve upgraded water meters with new technology at about 900 properties in Vermont South.

3. Replacing the water meter

Our contractor has replaced the existing water meter with a digital water meter.

4. New digital water meter setup

The digital water meter sends the property’s daily water use data back to us.

5. Benefits of having a digital water meter

Digital water meters enable customers to see how much water they’re using. They can help save money and also reduce water wastage by identifying possible leaks on the property.

Every property has a water meter – a device that tracks the volume of water being supplied to that property from the water pipe out in the street.

Without water meters, we wouldn’t know how much water a property used, and we wouldn’t be able to accurately bill people for the water they used.

Water meters are usually in the front yard of the property. For most customers, a meter reader physically visits the property every 3 months to take a water meter reading. This reading is compared to the previous water meter reading, and the difference is used to calculate the next bill.

Water meters last for around 15 years. After this time, the mechanical components can start slowing down. This  means the meter tracks a slightly lower amount of water being used than the amount that’s actually used.

We replace water meters every 15 years, as part of an ongoing maintenance program.

See the different appearance between standard water meters and the digital water meter being used in the trial:

Yes, we're working with the other metropolitan Melbourne water utilities, Greater Western Water and South East Water.  Together we're exploring how we upgrade existing water meters to digital water meters to help us manage our water more sustainably. Find out more about the Digital metering joint program.

Digital water meters have been rolled out in Europe and North America since 2013, and in New York, Toronto and London. These examples are just the first of a global movement towards a smarter and more reliable future for water.

The trial is helping us to understand the benefits of digital water meters. It also helps us understand the practicalities of a future digital water meter replacement program, including what the financial implications may be.

We may use data collected through digital water meters to: 

• send you quarterly bills 
• detect potential water leaks and identify abnormal water use patterns 
• display your near-real time water use through Yarra Valley Online Water
• optimise our network operations and planning. 

The information we collect through digital water meters may be disclosed to property owners, occupiers, and contractors or third parties. 

The digital water meter device itself doesn't collect or store any personal information.  

However, we may collect the following data through digital water meters: 

• Water usage data showing the volume of water that has passed through the meter at various times in the day. 

• Meter performance information, such as the battery’s health and the network’s signal strength.

• Water network related information, such as the water’s temperature and pressure.  

If we notice a possible water leak, we’ll contact you as soon as possible and guide you to check for, and fix, a leak yourself. 

View how to check for and fix a leak

If you can’t find the leak, don’t worry – as part of our trial we’re offering a free leak check, to be completed at your property by a qualified plumber.

Find out more about the free leak check

 You can see your daily water use at Yarra Valley Online Water.

Log in or register now

Digital water meters communicate data to us via telecommunication networks, similar to how mobile phones send data.

The data sent from digital water meters uses low level radiofrequency (RF) waves, a form of electromagnetic energy present all around us from natural and man-made sources.

We’re trialling communication technologies that are well within the Australian safety standards and likely to produce much less RF than that produced by a mobile phone.

Together with South East Water and Greater Western Water, we're undertaking independent RF testing, and this will continue  as we move forward in our digital metering journey.

We take your privacy very seriously. We manage your information in accordance with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014. No personal information is stored on the digital water metering device itself.