Exmouth Meter Replacement Project

Project goal:

To upgrade all water meters in Exmouth to smart meter technology.

Status:

In planning

Delivery Date:

July 2024 to October 2024

What’s happening?

Many of the water meters in Exmouth have come to the end of their life and are due for replacement.

To ensure that we continue to receive accurate meter readings and provide you with a reliable water supply, we will be upgrading all meters in Exmouth to smart meter technology.

Where is this happening?

All homes and businesses in Exmouth can expect to have their water meter upgraded with smart meter technology.

Find out where and when we'll be completing the upgrades in your area.

Why is this taking place?

Water meters have a limited operational life. As time goes on, they slow down and may under-record your water use. Getting accurate water meter readings ensures that all customers are charged correctly for their water use.

This data will also help us understand the current water demand in Exmouth, so we can plan for the future. Learn more about our project to identify a new drinking water source in Exmouth.

When is this happening?

Meter installations will commence in July 2024 and be complete by October 2024.

You will be notified at least four weeks prior to us being in your area. If you have a registered mobile number on your account, you will receive an SMS the week before the meter installation.

How will this impact the community?

We aim to minimise disruption wherever possible. You can expect to hear from us before your meter is upgraded so you can prepare. Update your details or register for an online account to ensure you don’t miss important information from us about your meter upgrade.

You can also help us by ensuring your meter is clear and accessible before upgrades begin. Read the FAQs for more information on what to expect during the rollout of upgrades.

Why smart meters?

We’ve been using smart meter technology for more than ten years now in metropolitan and regional areas in WA.

Smart meter technology has many advantages compared to a standard meter, including:

measuring water use in hourly intervals and sending this data to us automatically each day
the ability to view your water use data in your online account, helping you to identify unusual water use patterns which could indicate a leak
helping us notify you sooner if we think you have a leak, minimising water wastage and potential damage to your property
enabling us to deliver our services more efficiently and safely
helping us to monitor and optimise our operations.

Learn more about smart water meters.

What if you're unable to access my meter?

Sometimes, we're unable to complete an upgrade if we can't safely access your meter. This is often due to an unrestrained dog on the property, the meter being located behind a locked gate or other obstructions such as landscaping or paving.

If we're unable to upgrade your meter, we'll leave a card letting you know the reason why.

If you need to make an appointment to provide us with access, we’ll be in touch when our online booking form is available.

If you have more questions, we've got you covered. Please refer to the frequently asked questions below for more information.

We'll be in touch via mail and/or email & SMS before we come to upgrade your smart meter.

If your meter is clear and accessible, we'll upgrade your smart water meter when we are in your area. Learn more about what a clear and accessible meter looks like.

If we're unable to access your meter for any reason, we'll leave a card in your letter box explaining why. We'll contact you to schedule a suitable date and time.

Please note that we can't enter the property if your dog is not clearly secured away from the meter area. This means that they need to be in a separate fenced area or inside your home.

If your meter is behind a locked gate, please ensure the gate is left unlocked when we come to do your replacement.

Alternatively, you'll also be able to book a time for us to visit closer to the rollout so that you can give us access to your meter.

There is no cost to residents receiving a new smart water meter or a smart water meter upgrade. We'll cover the cost of purchase and installation. There will be no change to your bill unless you change your water use.

There are a number of reasons why you may notice an increase in water use charges following the installation of your new smart water meter.

1. Meters can deteriorate over time.

The accuracy of meters can deteriorate overtime. A slight variance in your bill may be due to a more accurate reading.

2. Your water use may have been estimated.

Your meter may have also been located behind a locked gate or in a yard with a dog, which makes it difficult for our meter readers to access it safely.

When this happens, we may have asked you to provide a self-read or we estimate your water use. This estimation is based on water use from the same period in the previous year. An estimated water read may be lower than your actual water use.

3. You may have moved into a higher pricing tier.

For some people, increased water use charges may be explained by having moved to a higher pricing tier.

The tiered pricing system is in place across WA and is designed to encourage the careful use of water.

Your water use charges are also calculated based on the cost of supplying water to your location, which varies across the state. Learn more about your water use charges.

4. You may have a leak.

Sometimes, higher than expected water use can be due to a leak that has gone unnoticed.

You can check for leaks by simply looking at the screen on your new smart water meter. Turn off all water-using appliances in your home (including evaporative air conditioners), wait a few minutes and check to see if the small number showing litres per hour has returned to 0l p/h. If the number is greater than 0l p/h, this indicates you may have a leak.

Please get in touch with us on 13 13 85 if you want to talk to someone about your bill.

If your old meter was faulty, then you may have been receiving higher pressure than usual.

As the new meters have been tested and approved to deliver the standard water pressure, you may experience a drop in pressure.

We aim to provide 20 litres of water per minute at your water meter. The pressure and flow that you experience from your taps are dependent on lots of factors, like the elevation of your property and your internal plumbing.

If you have noticed your water pressure has changed, complete this simple test to check the water flow you are getting at your tap.

No. You will continue to receive bills based on your current billing cycle. For most customers, this is every two months.

We will need to turn the water off at your property for 10-15 minutes during the installation.

If your water is turned off, you may notice a loud bang and your water bubbling as it comes out of the tap when it's turned back on. This is due to the air entering your water pipe during the installation. It should only take a moment for the air to clear and your water supply to return to normal. You can learn more about what to expect when your water is back on.

There are a number of different smart water meter technologies available. Residential customers in Exmouth will receive the Xylem Sensus IPERL smart meter.

This type of smart meter has been selected as the most robust technology for the conditions in Exmouth. Visit our how to read your meter page for further information.

We do not require customers to opt-in to this upgrade. All households and businesses in Exmouth will receive a new smart meter. Having accurate water use data is important to assist us with future supply planning.

Once all the meters have been installed and we have verified everything is working as it should, you will have access to your water usage data in your online account. We’ll let you know once your data is available to view.

If you have any questions or feedback about the Exmouth meter replacement project, please call us on 13 13 85 or email mrp@watercorporation.com.au.

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