As part of sustainable urban water management, Thane Municipal Corporation and Thane Smart City Ltd, have installed over 105,000 smart water meters across the city equipped with Automatic Meter Reading technology in order to ensure greater accuracy and fairness. Out of 105,000 smart water meters, 70,000 are installed in slum areas while remaining are installed in buildings.

The city’s infrastructure network distributes about 85 million liters of water per day but has been prone to water leakage and financial inefficiencies.

“The Smart Water Meter project marks a transformative step towards securing our water resources for the future. With data, accurate billing, and a focus on conservation, we are ensuring that every drop is accounted for, and every citizen is served efficiently." said Vikas Dhole, Deputy City Engineer, Thane Municipal Corporation, in a statement shared with ET Infra.

The installation of Automatic Meter Reading is being done to enable the urban local authorities to undertake water audits, ensure water leakage is minimised and help reduce non-revenue water percentage. Non-revenue water is water which is supplied by municipal authorities or local bodies but revenue is not generated through it due to leakage, loss, among others.

“By implementing smart water meters equipped with Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) technology, TMC (Thane Municipal Corporation) is now able to monitor water consumption. This allows for volumetric billing—charging consumers based on actual usage—ensuring greater accuracy and fairness,” according to the statement. Earlier, a flat-rate billing system was in practice which failed to reflect actual consumption of water.

The city’s municipal corporation has partnered with Palladium, a global impact firm, as the Project Management Consultant, to launch the Smart Water Meter project. The project also includes a web-based application which allows consumers to track their water usage.

"By leveraging cutting-edge technology and data-driven solutions, Thane is not only addressing its current water issues but also building a sustainable future for its citizens. Palladium is proud to partner with Thane Municipal Corporation to launch and execute this remarkable Smart Water Meter project." said Amit Patjoshi, Chief Executive Officer of Palladium.