Engineering sustainability: the eco-designed smart water meter ALTAIR V5
Smart meters like the new ALTAIR V5 illustrate how eco-design can support water efficiency and infrastructure modernisation, aligning with utilities’ decarbonisation and network efficiency goals.
The challenges facing water utilities are both well-established and ever-evolving—ranging from managing water scarcity to modernising infrastructure, decarbonising operations, and strengthening network efficiency. But despite their diversity, these challenges share a single, critical theme: sustainability.
As climate pressures intensify, the role of water utilities has become ever more intertwined with the global climate agenda. Today, they are expected to be champions of sustainability in every aspect of their business.
Navigating the sustainable transition
Improving the sustainability of distribution networks is a challenge facing most utilities. Fragmented systems and device incompatibility can make it difficult to modernise at scale. While smart metering and network digitalisation offer major sustainability gains—such as reducing water losses and optimising energy use—the transition often involves high upfront costs and integration hurdles.
Smart meters and radio modules contain batteries, electronics, and plastics, all of which contribute to electronic waste
Regulatory pressure is an additional challenge for the sector. In Europe, frameworks like the EU Green Deal and the Fit for 55 Package require utilities to report on water losses and greenhouse gas emissions. In the UK, the government’s Net Zero strategy compels water companies to take meaningful action to reduce their carbon footprint.
Another growing concern is recyclability. Smart meters and radio modules contain batteries, electronics, and plastics, all of which contribute to electronic waste. Their lifespan is typically limited by the battery, which rarely lasts 15 years. Dismantling and recycling is nearly impossible because the battery is encased in resin to protect it from moisture. With end-of-life recycling options still limited, utilities must increasingly consider how today’s material choices will affect tomorrow’s environmental footprint.
Eco-design in action
In response to these growing expectations around sustainability, water utilities are rethinking not just how they operate, but the technologies they rely on. Eco-design—designing products to minimise environmental impact throughout their lifecycle—is becoming a critical part of this shift.
Components such as batteries and plastics are separable, allowing for end-of-life processing through appropriate channels
More than 15 years ago, Diehl Metering launched one of the industry's first eco-designed water meters: ALTAIR V4. Awarded an eco-design prize by the French Ministry of the Environment, it was also recognised for its precision and reliability. The V4 went on to become a benchmark in volumetric metering, selling over 30 million units worldwide.
Building on that legacy, Diehl Metering has developed ALTAIR V5 to respond to today’s heightened expectations around sustainability and performance. Featuring a redesigned structure and more sustainable materials, it is available in multiple diameters and configurations—including both composite and brass versions—as well as country-specific variants.
How an eco-designed smart meter advances sustainability
Eco-designed solutions, such as the ALTAIR V5 smart water meter, deliver sustainability benefits across their design, performance, and digital capabilities—supporting long-term environmental goals and operational efficiency.
Lower environmental impact by design
The ALTAIR V5 smart water meter is designed with sustainability in mind. It weighs up to 43% less than its predecessor, which contributes to lower material usage and reduced energy demand during manufacturing and transport. The device includes partially bio-sourced materials and a modular clip-on radio unit (IZAR RC IoT), which can be disassembled to facilitate recycling. Components such as batteries and plastics are separable, allowing for end-of-life processing through appropriate channels.
Durability for sustainable operations
To meet the operational demands of contemporary water networks, ALTAIR V5 is engineered for resilience. It withstands higher levels of chlorination and is designed to minimise blockages. A large filtration surface supports consistent performance over time, which can extend the meter’s service life and reduce the need for frequent replacements, contributing to more sustainable infrastructure management.
Scalable smart metering integration
ALTAIR V5 supports flexible deployment of smart metering technologies. Its modular IZAR radio unit enables utilities to implement IoT functionalities incrementally, without requiring full network upgrades. Features such as automated data transmission, leak detection, and configurable alerts provide actionable insights for water management. At the household level, detailed consumption data can help raise awareness and encourage more efficient water use.
Its modular IZAR radio unit enables utilities to implement IoT functionalities incrementally, without requiring full network upgrades
As water utilities navigate the dual imperatives of resource efficiency and carbon reduction, smart metering technologies offer practical pathways to progress. ALTAIR V5 serves as an example of how eco-design principles—applied to both hardware and system architecture—can contribute to lower environmental impact, longer operational lifespans, and scalable digital integration. By aligning product development with sustainability goals, such innovations support utilities in building more resilient and environmentally responsible water infrastructure. Eco-designed smart meters like ALTAIR V5 align with policy goals for decarbonisation, resource efficiency, and circularity.
Rethinking the production process
In line with its eco-design approach, Diehl Metering has reimagined its engineering and manufacturing processes to reduce environmental impact and enhance operational efficiency. The use of digital twins played a key role in accelerating the design phase, minimising material waste during prototyping, and streamlining pilot production. This digital approach also contributed to shorter production cycles and reduced energy consumption.
Eco-designed smart meters like ALTAIR V5 align with policy goals for decarbonisation, resource efficiency, and circularity
Production techniques were refined to lower the amount of material required for components without compromising their dimensions or performance. Tooling systems were redesigned to increase output while maintaining consistent manufacturing times and energy efficiency. Additionally, the integration of advanced automation has helped reduce repetitive tasks, allowing team members to focus on areas such as robotics, quality control, and process optimisation. These changes have not only improved working conditions but also supported skill development and more engaging roles within the production teams.
Digital twins and automation help reduce waste, energy use, and improve working conditions in sustainable meter production.
Toward smarter, greener design
With ALTAIR V5, Diehl Metering shows how eco-design can deliver tangible sustainability gains without compromising performance. The composite concentric version of its new meter has a carbon footprint of just 2.77 kgCO₂e—a 48% reduction compared to the previous generation.
Eco-designed meters reduce environmental impact across their entire lifecycle. This allows utilities to factor the carbon cost of renewing their meters into emissions reporting, while minimising their broader ecological footprint. As the sector works to decarbonise, every component matters—and ALTAIR V5 shows how rethinking product design can make a real difference.