The smart water meter market is poised for steady growth in the coming 5 years, driven by increasing demand for water itself, aging system infrastructure, and a need among utilities to operate their systems much more efficiently.
However, in spite of these growth drivers, the industry faces several other factors that will be impediments to progress. New smart meters cost more than standard water meters, presenting a budgetary challenge to many water utilities. Smart meters also require additional IT expertise to facilitate data collection and data management – not always a welcome change to risk-averse system operators. And many water utilities are concerned about potential pushback from consumers, given the levels of resistance that some electric utilities have faced from customers in their smart meter rollouts.
Drip, Drip, Drip: Water Meters Leak RF; Cheat Customers - Stop Smart Meters!
“Smart” water meters have slipped by without much public notice, and are being installed all over the US currently, often inside people’s homes. There are different systems and companies, but as with electric and gas ‘smart’ meters, they broadcast your usage data wirelessly, permeating your home with radio-frequency radiation and compromising your privacy.
Lack of public input; lack of proper governmental oversight; utility priorities trumping environmental and health considerations; unexplained overbilling; and customer privacy infringement: we’ve seen all this in the context of electricity ‘smart’ meters.
Now the same scenario is unfolding with water metering. It’s all about the cost to the utility. They save money on meter readers, and consequences to the consumer be damned.
No comments:
Post a Comment