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Severn Trent is set to install up to 1,800 smart water meters in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham to gain a better understanding of the water network and to do right by the local environment.

The innovative trial will allow Severn Trent to capture data on an hourly basis, meaning the company will be able to increase its understanding of where water is used and, more importantly, where it is lost through leakage.  Starting this March, the company will be installing meters over a two-month period, with the trial running until early next year. 

Jack Muir, Smart Metering Project Manager at Severn Trent, said: “Installing these new meters will enable us to keep track and monitor the water that flows through the pipes as data is captured hourly. This means we’ll be able to detect leaks much faster and fix them before they cause major disruption.

“Currently, we have to make a lot of assumptions about where water is used on our network, so installing smart meters in an entire area will greatly increase our understanding of the network and show whether increased water usage is due to customers consuming more water, or if there’s a leak.”

Severn Trent revealed last year that over 2.2bn litres of water was used across its region on the hottest day in summer 2021, which means that on average customers used an extra 60 litres of water per person - on top of the 145 litres normally used.

Jack added: “We recognise that our customers are keen to protect the environment and part of that is reducing water consumption. By collecting data in the trial, we’ll be able to tailor water efficiency initiatives to our customer and help them fix internal plumbing issues such as leaky loos and dripping taps. The smart meters will also help us to identify customers who could save money by switching to a metered bill but it’s completely up to them if they want to make the switch.” 

The trial will finish in early 2023. The meters installed will continue to transmit data to the company and the information gathered will be used to inform Severn Trent’s 2025 plans and beyond. 

Severn Trent has also kickstarted their £20m Green Recovery Smart Metering programme in Coventry and Warwickshire, where over 150,000 meters will be installed by 2025 to help reduce leakage, save customers’ water, and find and fix leaks faster.

For more information on the smart meters trial visit Severn Trent's website