Rous County Council rolls out Digital Smart Water Meters to improve regional water sustainability

refected, “Sincerity is to speak as we think, to do as we pretend and profess, to perform and make good what we promise, and really to be what we would seem and appear to be.” Nothing more nor less, however the above four identifed facets of sincerity according to Tillotson, are quite possibly amongst the loftiest challenges any human being can ever be assigned, in terms of consistently maintaining them, over the course of a lifetime.

The origin of the word ‘sincerity’ is derived from the Latin ‘sinceritas’, which meant sound, genuine, pure or candid. It is also speculated that it derived from the expression ‘sincerus’ which is a combination of the Latin words for ‘one’ and ‘growth’.

Thus, sincerity could be considered a trait that thrives and derives much of its weight, albeit resonance, solely from within. Or as Lao Tzu once noted, “When pure sincerity forms within, it is outwardly realised in other people’s hearts.”

And as such, it is the heart, or more so what plays out within the auditorium of our hearts, that sincerity rings true and reigns supreme; it is the direct conduit for the exchange of what is most telling and real with regards to who we are, and what we are all about. Relatedly, as if to lessen the sheer enormity of the challenge, but at the same time emphasise its paramount importance, Gudjon Bergmann once said, “We don’t need to be perfect to do good deeds in the world, but we need to be sincere in our efforts.”

From Monday 5 February Rous County Council (Rous) in partnership with Nucleus3 (N3), GreenBe and NPS will be installing new ‘digital smart water meters’ for the majority of its 2,132 direct water customers. The smart meters and the associated “My Rous” app will provide customers with timely data, and customisable updates and alerts about water usage and leakage detection.

The frst smart meters are being installed in Ballina with the remaining customers in the Rous network being connected over the next 6 months. Work is expected to be completed in June 2024. Historically, Rous has undertaken manual reading of customer water meters on a quarterly basis. While this is adequate for billing requirements, it provides little information for Rous and our customers on actual water use and any leaks that might occur. Rous’s Group Manager Planning and Delivery, Andrew Logan says “It’s great to see work fnally underway to install smart water meters for our customers. We’re hopeful that with information available at their fngertips on a digital device, our customers can be more mindful of their water use and potentially save money and water if they have a leak on their property.”

Smart meters will be connected to existing digital communication networks and will provide daily updates to the customer via the My Rous app. The app, developed by GreenBe, will help customers to self-manage their water consumption. Customers will be able to monitor their water use, explore ways to reduce their use, and identify any unusual activity that might indicate a leak. It is expected that this communication system will help save water for the region and money for our customers.

N3 Program Manager, Shaun Eisel says “by implementing the smart meters and the My Rous app, Rous is taking a critical step in increasing sustainable water usage which in turn will contribute to a more secure water supply for the local community.”

“More and more Councils and Water Authorities across Australia are moving to digital water meters to provide more timely information on water usage and patterns of consumption, to better inform future planning.

Rous is proud to be taking this step with our customers in the Northern Rivers.” says Andrew Logan.