Digital water meters supporting smarter water conservation

Council staff have installed appox. 800 water meters in Guyra

01st Sep 2026

Armidale Regional Council (ARC) has reached a significant milestone in its Digital Water Meter Project, with more than 9,200 digital water meter installations and upgrades completed across Armidale and Guyra.
The project, valued at approximately $4.5 million and fully funded through Council’s water fund, is helping deliver smarter water management across the region while supporting community efforts to conserve water during ongoing drought conditions.
To date, approximately 800 meters have been installed or upgraded in Guyra and more than 8,400 in Armidale, bringing the total number of installations and upgrades to over 9,200 properties.
The digital water meters are providing benefits for both residents and Council. The technology enables meter readings to be collected remotely through a centralised system, improving efficiency and allowing staff to focus more time on maintaining water infrastructure and identifying leaks across the network.
The meters are also giving residents greater visibility of their water use through the ARC Water App, helping households track consumption, identify unusual usage patterns and detect leaks earlier.
During the two-year installation period, 367 properties experienced leaks, resulting in an estimated additional $364,680 in water costs, equating to an average of around $994 per property. With access to near real-time water usage information through the ARC Water App, residents can identify unexpected increases in consumption sooner and potentially avoid costly water losses.
Ben Marshall, ARC Technical Officer Water and Wastewater said the digital water meter rollout is providing practical benefits that support both water conservation and customer awareness.
“The digital water meters are helping customers better understand their water use, detect leaks earlier and support smarter water management, which is especially important during drought conditions,” Mr Marshall said.
“They also allow Council to read meters remotely through a centralised system, improving operational efficiency and helping staff focus on maintaining and improving our water network.
“As we move into the warmer months, residents can use the water app to monitor their consumption and make informed decisions about their water use. Small changes can make a big difference when it comes to conserving water across the region.”
Council is encouraging residents to register for the water app, which provides easy access to household water usage information online. Property owners can view their property’s water consumption data and approve tenant access through the app.
With the region currently under Level 2 Water Restrictions, the ARC Water App is a valuable tool to help residents monitor their daily water use, work towards the target of 170 litres per person per day and support the community’s water conservation efforts. As the region moves into spring and warmer weather, residents can use the app to track their consumption, identify changes in water use and make informed decisions to help save water.
The contractor-led installation phase has now been completed, with Council staff undertaking the remaining approximately 1,200 complex installations. These include properties with restricted access, dangerous dogs, buried or heavily vegetated meters, and meters that are difficult to locate. The project remains on track for completion by December 2026, with Council completing around 300 installations per month.
The remaining meters in Guyra’s main street will be upgraded as part of upcoming water infrastructure works and will remain as mechanical meters until those works commence.
As more residents connect to the water app, Council expects the digital water meter network to play an increasingly important role in supporting water conservation, leak detection and long-term water security across the Armidale region.

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Digital water meters supporting smarter water conservation

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