KUCHING: Sarawak is the leading state in Malaysia to capitalise on the benefits of over 50,000 high precision smart metering to address Non Revenue Water (NRW) issues.
According to a press statement issued yesterday (Oct 20), the efforts were deployed under the Sarawak Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB), Kuching Water Board (KWB) and Sibu Water Board (SWB)
It said that the Ministry of Utilities and Telecommunications Sarawak will continue to push forward on the digitalisation of the water network in Sarawak which is in line with the state’s plan to reduce NRW level to 25 per cent.
Its minister Datuk Julaihi Narawi said in his closing keynote address at the Borneo International Water and Wastewater Exhibition & Conference (BIWWEC 2022) 2022 that Sarawak aimed to achieve the NRW target as well as 100 per cent water supply coverage.
“BIWWEC 2022, themed ‘Sustainability and Resilience through Smart Technology and Innovation’, showcased the latest technology and solutions in the water industry.
“Hopefully this exhibition, with the introduction of new innovative technology which includes smart meter systems, will be able to reduce our NRW in the near future,” Julaihi said.
He added that it was important to educate the consumers on the importance of using water wisely to ensure sustainability.
“The capability of the smart water meter for drop-by-drop measurement and to provide information back to consumers will be crucial in the effort to reduce NRW.
“Information such as leaks within the consumer’s compound will be an added benefit to the consumers in the implementation of smart metering as it is about how best we can educate them so they can value water in their daily lives,” he added.
As technology is ever changing, the ‘modularity’ feature of the smart meters is crucial to propel Sarawak towards sustainable digitalisation and modernisation.
It will give Sarawak the ability to replace the Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) devices attached to the water meter to various communications options if and when newer AMR technology arises.”
