Unitywater is rolling out new digital water meters, prioritising older areas where customers are more likely to experience leaks.
The expansion, which started at the end of March, upgrades existing meters with modern digital technology that securely sends daily water use data to Unitywater.
The technology will help provide faster leak identification, earlier customer notifications, clearer billing and a more complete picture of water use across the network.
Unitywater CEO Anna Jackson said digital meters were a key investment in building a more resilient water network across the Sunshine Coast, Noosa and Moreton Bay.
“Digital metering represents a major step forward in our ongoing investment to modernise services and improve the customer experience,” she said.
“It means we can help detect leaks earlier, reduce water loss and help customers avoid unexpected high bills. It’s a simple change that delivers real benefits.”
Mountain Creek resident Daryl Nish experienced a large, concealed leak that significantly damaged his property.
“My experience shows just how serious a concealed leak can be when it goes unnoticed for a long time,” he said.
Ms Jackson said the digital devices would be installed in network blocks, which are defined by the water supply infrastructure layout, rather than street-by-street – an approach that would allow the utility to more accurately pinpoint potential leaks in the network.
“Every drop lost through leaks is drinking-water quality and so anything we can do to prevent leaks helps conserve a precious resource,” she said.
“Being able to more quickly see what is going on in our network helps us reduce water loss, manage network maintenance costs and support regional water security.”
Unitywater’s expanded program follows successful pilot programs involving 10,000 properties, which delivered more than 800 million litres of water savings, more than $5 million in customer savings and early leak identification support for more than 3000 households.
To deliver the infrastructure installations, Unitywater will partner with ETS Infrastructure Management, a company that has delivered meter reading and plumbing services for Unitywater for more than a decade.
Ms Jackson said Unitywater would be reaching out to customers receiving a digital meter in 2026. The upgrade comes at no additional fee.
