Smart water, smarter decisions: How the UK is scaling digital metering for a resilient future

For Varga, the driver behind this acceleration is clear. “Most of the regulatory demands and smart metering are really driven by the fact that even the UK won’t have enough water in 20 years,” she said. “Everything we are doing is to actually save water.” She noted the progression from basic automated reading in AMP6 to more mature advanced metering pilots in AMP7, while stressing that AMP8’s scale demands strong collaboration across the supply chain. “None of this can actually be delivered successfully… without having partners.”

Connectivity is the backbone of smart metering

“Most of the regulatory demands and smart metering are really driven by the fact that even the UK won’t have enough water in 20 years" - Sylvia Varga

This is where Netmore’s role becomes essential. Lyu described the complexity of establishing reliable connectivity across the UK’s diverse terrain, where meters often sit in boundary boxes up to 1.5 metres underground or in flood-prone locations. To ensure robust coverage, Netmore follows a structured deployment process involving radio planning, site acquisition, gateway installation and field validation. Different strategies are used for concentrated urban rollouts, scattered new developments or isolated rural installations.

Both speakers underscored that no single technology can address every scenario. LoRaWAN is currently central because it provides long-range, low-power communication and operates in unlicensed spectrum, allowing operators to densify coverage where needed. As Lyu explained, LoRa “can cover the vast majority of the meter locations due to its nature.” NB-IoT remains a complementary option, particularly where mobile coverage is strong. Lyu also noted that it is impossible to know whether LoRaWAN® will still be the leading technology in ten years, which is why Netmore continues to test and evaluate alternative technologies to ensure long-term flexibility.

Together, Diehl Metering and Netmore presented a service-based, end-to-end smart water model, where utilities receive meters, connectivity, a head-end system and analytics within one integrated solution. Varga summarised the essentials: “To receive that data, you need the meters, the sensors, you need an AMI network, and you need a head-end system that interprets it all.” With hourly data now the norm in many projects, she added, “without doing something with the data … there is no next step.”

Case studies: South West Water and Yorkshire Water

“There’s no one technology that can fix everything, but LoRaWAN is more efficient and cost-effective in the long run" - Vadim Lyu

South West Water offered the first example of this model in action. Working across one of England’s most challenging landscapes, the utility has deployed more than 100,000 smart meters with an 86 per cent connectivity rate. North Devon’s dramatic coastline and isolated settlements made the project technically demanding. Varga described it as “absolutely beautiful scenery, a difficult landscape for installation of smart meters and an AMI network.” Despite this, the system has already identified 3,400 leaks and saved 1.67 million litres of water per day.

Yorkshire Water, one of the UK’s largest utilities, is also demonstrating early success. From a long-term target of 1.7 million meters by 2030, around 272,000 have already been installed. Lyu reported daily savings of two megalitres and a reduction of two litres per capita consumption, adding that these early gains are prompting the utility to consider “accelerating the program.”

Questions, reflections and lessons

During the Q&A, participants from several countries raised questions that illuminated the technical choices behind these deployments. Varga clarified the distinction between AMR and AMI, explaining that “AMR stands for Automated Meter Reading” and is typically walk-by or drive-by, while “AMI stands for Advanced Metering Infrastructure” and relies on fixed networks like LoRaWAN or NB-IoT. She noted that although loggers sometimes complicate terminology, “conceptually that’s the distinction.”

Technology selection was a recurring theme. When asked why LoRa is widely adopted, Lyu highlighted that Netmore experimented with different technologies and selected LoRaWAN as the most efficient at present. He explained that NB-IoT represents only “5–10 percent of meters” in most of their programmes, mainly in rural locations where mobile coverage is strong.

Meter selection also drew attention. Varga explained that Yorkshire Water uses advanced volumetric mechanical meters because the UK’s boundary box installations are incompatible with current ultrasonic designs, and volumetric meters offer the strong low-flow performance needed for leak detection.

Cost comparisons surfaced as well. Lyu stated that NB-IoT solutions tend to be “about 25–30 percent more expensive than LoRa” due to module price, SIM card requirements and shorter battery life.

Connectivity in basements and deep wells was another area of interest. Lyu noted that fewer than one percent of sites require indoor gateways with dedicated backhaul, which remain the preferred solution in difficult indoor scenarios.

Regulation was the session’s final theme. Varga encouraged regulators to focus on meter accuracy matched to local conditions, flexibility in technology choices, pragmatic expectations around data granularity and outcome-driven approaches to leakage and customer service. She reminded participants that “sometimes less data is more” when utilities are still building internal capabilities.

Finally, both speakers agreed that the next decade will bring continued technological evolution. Lyu remarked that “digitalisation is inevitable” and essential for safeguarding water resources, while Varga reiterated that the core mission of smart metering will not change. “This is about saving water,” she said.