Smart meters are being promoted in many regions to improve the efficiency of meter reading operations and pipe line renewal. However, so far there has been no quantitative evaluation to clearly demonstrate their effectiveness, leaving the balance between the costs and benefits of their introduction uncertain. In particular, there are no detailed estimates that take into account the social benefits of communication equipment, communication costs, the rate of uncollected water bills, as well as the reduction of residents’ complaints and increased user satisfaction.

We are tackling this challenge and are researching the next generation of water utilities using a combination of digital and analogue technologies. Specifically, we have begun developing a simulator to quantitatively assess the benefits of introducing smart meters in terms of costs.

The simulator applies an approximate optimal patrol algorithm and aims to quantify the effect of reduced patrol distances in meter reading operations. It will contribute to the future of water utilities by elucidating the true effects of the introduction of smart meters.