Yarra Valley Water had installed more than 50,000 digital water meters by 19 May 2026, and it now targets about 900,000 by mid-2032. It is the retailer's main tool against a water loss measure missed three years running.
A fleet target revised
The current target replaces an earlier plan. An August 2023 release said that, if the expanded trial was successful, Yarra Valley Water would explore rolling out digital meters across its entire meter fleet. The May 2026 figure of about 900,000 by mid-2032 is now the operative goal. At 50,000 installed, the rollout stood at about 5.6% of that fleet.
The meters, on Sagemcom's SICONIA platform (announced November 2023), carry pressure sensors. New Plumbing Solutions holds a meter replacement and maintenance contract worth over A$40 million over five years.
Early leak results
Yarra Valley Water says its digital meters have helped resolve more than 8,500 leaks, saving 250 ML. A joint model by Yarra Valley Water, South East Water and City West Water projects savings of 335 GL over 25 years, a modelled projection.
The gap to close
Water lost from the supply system was 10% in 2023-24, 10.4% in 2024-25 and 9.6% in 2025-26. The target for 2025-26 was below 7.3%, a gap of 2.3 percentage points. Household use also missed its target in 2025-26, at 407 litres a day against 396.
The 2028-33 price submission, due to the Essential Services Commission in September 2027, will show how much metering spending Yarra Valley Water proposes after the current period ends on 30 June 2028.
The report sets out what the meter fleet is meant to deliver beyond leak finding, how the metering targets sit beside the utility's recycled water and energy commitments, and which milestones run to 2032. The full report, Water Utility of the Future: Yarra Valley Water, is available for USD 499. For a free overview, read the Yarra Valley Water Utility Snapshot.