Work on installing smart meters at water-intensive buildings across city begins

Smart water meters will use IoT technology to track water consumption, officials say.

| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

In a step towards encouraging judicious water use and track water consumption in real time, Chennai Metrowater has identified a concessionaire to install and operate smart water meters in nearly one lakh water-intensive buildings across all zones of the city.The concessionaire, JWIL Infra Limited, started preliminary works, including review of the consumers’ data and the existing billing and collection systems. It would also design a citizen engagement programme before the construction. The concessionaire would create awareness about the metering system along with Metrowater authorities for the ₹273.60-crore project.With an aim to improve its service delivery and also focus on demand side management, the water agency identified water-intensive consumers in various categories, including commercial, partly commercial, industries, private institutions and multi-storied buildings. Individual buildings measuring about 2,500 sq.ft. would also be fitted with smart water meters that would use IoT technology to track water consumption, officials said. 47,043 individual buildings and 26,886 commercial structures are among those identified for the fixing of smart water meters in the first phase. Of the total one lakh buildings identified, 73,608 buildings are in core areas and remaining in added areas.The maximum number of water-intensive consumers was identified in Anna Nagar, Kodambakkam, and Teynampet zones. The water agency had already fixed water meters in nearly 30, 115 buildings across the city.Once the review and capital investment plan is completed, the concessionaire is expected to begin fixing ultrasonic/electromagnetic smart water meters by December, officials said.While residents welcomed the initiative, they also flagged concerns over faulty water meters and long-term viability of digital water metering system and addressal of sewage issues. Vasanthi Kannan, a civic activist from Akbarabad, Kodambakkam, said it is a good initiative for equitable water distribution to all households along a street. Recalling illegal drawing of water during the 2019 drought by some multi-storied buildings, she said metering would curb such misuse. Metrowater must ensure quality water meters for accurate billing.Officials of the Metrowater said the concessionaire would have to procure, test and also undertake meter reading every month to generate automatic billing. While construction of the metering network, that includes metering chambers and setting up of software for communication and billing system, would have to be completed by August 2028, the concessionaire would operate and maintain the system for 10 years under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM).Setting up of a Customer Relationship Management centre is another mandate of the project that would adhere to Water Meter Policy 2022. More buildings would be identified for the metering system in a phased manner, they added. Published - June 23, 2026 05:30 am IST