More than 9,200 homes and businesses across Armidale and Guyra now have digital water meters, with Armidale Regional Council crediting the $4.5 million rollout with catching hundreds of leaks before they blew out household bills.
Council has reached a major milestone in its Digital Water Meter Project, with installations and upgrades completed at more than 8,400 properties in Armidale and about 800 in Guyra. The project is fully funded through Council’s water fund and is designed to deliver smarter water management across the region while supporting conservation efforts during ongoing drought conditions.
The meters allow Council to read water usage remotely through a centralised system, freeing up staff to spend more time maintaining infrastructure and hunting down leaks across the network. They also give residents far greater visibility of their own water use through the ARC Water App, which helps households track consumption, spot unusual usage patterns and catch leaks earlier.
That visibility has already had a real financial payoff. During the two-year installation period, 367 properties experienced leaks, adding an estimated $364,680 to water bills across the region, an average of about $994 per affected property. Council says residents with access to near real-time usage data through the app can catch unexpected spikes in consumption sooner and potentially avoid costly water losses altogether.
Ben Marshall, Armidale Regional Council’s Technical Officer for Water and Wastewater, said the rollout was delivering practical benefits.
“The digital water meter rollout is providing practical benefits that support both water conservation and customer awareness,” Mr Marshall said.
“The digital meters are helping customers better understand their water use, detect leaks earlier and support smarter water management, which is especially important during drought conditions.”
“They also allow Council to read meters remotely through a centralised system, improving operational efficiency and helping staff focus on maintaining and improving our water network.”
Council is encouraging residents to register for the free ARC Water App, which lets property owners view their household’s water consumption online and approve access for tenants.
With the region currently under Level 2 Water Restrictions, Council is urging residents to use the app to work towards a target of 170 litres per person per day.
“As we move into the warmer months, residents can use the water app to monitor their consumption and make informed decisions about their water use,” Mr Marshall said.
“Small changes can make a big difference when it comes to conserving water across the region.”
The contractor-led installation phase has now wrapped up, with Council staff taking on the remaining 1,200 or so complex installations, including properties with restricted access, dangerous dogs, and meters that are buried, heavily vegetated or otherwise hard to locate. Council is completing around 300 of these a month and expects the project to be finished by December 2026.
Meters in Guyra’s main street will remain mechanical for now, with upgrades to follow as part of upcoming water infrastructure works.
Council expects the digital meter network to play an increasingly important role in water conservation, leak detection and long-term water security across the region as more residents connect to the app.
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