Chairman of Tasmania’s Regional Water Corporations Geoff Willis today welcomed the announcement of $10 million of Federal Government funding to aid the roll out of water meters to unmetered areas. Mr Willis said it is a most welcome kick start to the statewide metering program.
The grant is part of the National Water Security Plan for Cities and Towns. A portion of the grant will help fund Southern Water’s metering of around 65,000 homes in the southern region.
Southern Water CEO, Mr Mike Paine, said the metering project was a vital part of providing an equitable service for Southern Water customers. He said the Federal funding would enable the Corporation to concentrate its own funding to ensure there was a meter on every connection in southern Tasmania.
“Installing meters will give every customer the ability to choose what they use,” Mr Paine said. “It also will enable Southern Water to progress equitable pricing for our customers. The two part tariff will mean our customers pay a service fee and then only pay for the water they use.
“The metering of all properties in southern Tasmania will assist Southern Water to identify and reduce leakage in our supply systems. It will also help customers find and repair leaks in their household pipes and better manage their water consumption. It’s about offering a choice; with more information, our customers can make more informed decisions about their water usage.
“Reducing leakage will also cut water wastage, which means less water will need to be produced, treated and distributed.
“Savings in water use will mean we can potentially defer significant amounts of capital works for many years, and increase Southern Water’s efficiency. “
Mr Paine said Southern Water had assembled a project team to manage the rollout, headed by Mr Danny Sutton, Executive Manager Metering, Industry and Regional Planning. The team has commenced work on scoping reports to establish the scale of the project, which will be the largest rollout of water meters undertaken in Australia in recent years. These reports will determine the final costs to Southern Water customers. Mr Paine said the federal funding would assist in reducing the costs associated with the metering rollout.
Southern Water
