Hidroconta and Global Omnium have partnered to implement the most advanced water technology in one of the most emblematic and valuable areas in the province of Alicante (Spain): Vall de la Gallinera. Specifically, in four small size municipalities which now have state-of-the-art smart water meters.
In the heart of the province of Alicante, Benirrama, Benissivà, Benitaia and Benialí have the best system to address and prevent water leaks, protect the good condition of the water supply network, and avoid manual meter reading. Ultimately, it is a high quality service with the same characteristics and advantages that large cities have, and which residents can now enjoy thanks to the provincial authorities (Diputación de Alicante), Global Omnium and Hidroconta. More than four hundred water meters have already been installed.
The municipal government of Vall de Gallinera in Alicante relies on the benefits that IoT systems offer to rural areas of Spain with low population density
These meters have been distributed to the different towns, adapting to the characteristics of the area, where the population is dispersed over a large area.
Hidroconta supplies the telemetry equipment for the domestic connections, R160 single jet water meters, with IRIS telemetry modules which use LoRaWAN communications technology. The new remote management system, integrated into the platform of the municipality by Global Omnium, will allow visualising real time water use data to enable proper management of water services in Vall de Gallinera (Alicante).
In order to reduce costs and enhance water network management in the towns of Vall de Gallinera (Alicante), particularly those which are smaller, where there is no water management company, and to monitor savings, the municipal government of Vall de Gallinera in Alicante relies on the benefits that IoT systems offer to rural areas of Spain with low population density.
To carry out the project, 460 water meters have been replaced with new ones which have a LoRaWan radiofrequency module.
With this upgrade project, the local government pretends to enhance the management of the water supply network, which currently entails huge efforts, both in terms of human and financial resources. Automated collection of water use data will help to prevent and anticipate events such as leaks inside homes.
The Hidroconta equipment selected for the digitalisation of the urban water network in Vall de Gallinera is the Atlantis domestic meter, with R160 precision.
A set of an Atlantis water meter with an IRIS module
The Atlantis water meter by Hidroconta uses single jet technology and has been developed for potable water uses, since it is MID approved (Measuring Instruments Directive 2014/32/EU), as certified by the Spanish Metrology Centre (CEM). The Atlantis is manufactured with a copper alloy casing. Installation does not need sections of straight pipe upstream or downstream (U0/D0).
A clap-on IRIS telemetry module with LoRaWAN communications has been attached to the meter. IRIS devices allow mechanical meters to access the world of IoT communications. Their versatility enables integration with a wide range of meters, even those made by other manufacturers. In addition, they are designed to adapt to most communications protocols in the market.
To carry out the project, 460 water meters have been replaced with new ones which have a LoRaWan radiofrequency module
The IRIS communications module has specific alarm programmes, for example, to detect leaks or water flows that are lower than they should, in order to facilitate the management of the water network in the Vall.
Another of the project milestones has been to integrate telemetry and all the recorded data into the system of the provincial authorities, CODO. To this effect, Global Omnium has been in charge of standardising the data received by the municipality, to then store them in a provincial database, on order to facilitate support efforts provided by the Water Cycle Department to the municipalities.
