National water agency PUB has appointed global engineering company CH2M HILL Singapore Private Limited (now a part of Jacobs Engineering Group Inc), as the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Specialist for the Smart Water Meter Programme roll-out in Singapore. This marks the first contract awarded under the first phase of the Smart Water Meter Programme to install 300,000 automated water meters in new and existing residential, commercial and industrial premises by 2023. The large scale deployment of smart water meters in Singapore is PUB’s major step towards a smart utility.
PUB has appointed Jacobs following an open tender exercise in April 2019 for a specialist who will work with PUB to evaluate and advise on meter devices and technology, communications protocol and provide insights for enhancing operational efficiency and water savings. Jacobs was selected, from among eight local and international companies, based on their extensive experience in the planning and implementation of large-scale AMI water meter projects with a strong team having the knowledge of global best AMI practices. Jacobs was involved in the successful implementation of AMI water meters in Cleveland and Louisville, USA, where they were involved in the large deployment of 425,000 and 285,000 smart meters respectively.
In the near future, these smart water meters will collect water consumption information and communicate back to PUB on a daily basis. Through a mobile application or online portal, customers will be able to access their daily water usage data, and receive notifications for leak and abnormal usage. Customers will also be empowered to take proactive steps to manage or reduce their water usage. Jacobs will develop the requirements for the web portal and mobile application for customers. For PUB, the data collected can help to optimise water demand management, and achieve greater operational efficiencies. PUB’s subsequent step will be to call the tender for the installation of around 300,000 smart water meters in 1Q 2020, and the first smart water meters will be installed by early 2021.
Beyond the hardware, PUB will also be reviewing the business services that supports water billing to enhance overall customer experience by providing a smooth and seamless process from metering to billing.
