Mechanical water meters are cheap to install and have low maintenance costs, but they require manual readings, which are typically done every two months. However, if a pipe leaks during this period, the water meter will record high flow rates, resulting in the homeowner being charged for the lost water. This can be a significant issue, as seen in the case of a homeowner in Anji Street, Chengdu, who received a 'Water Quantity Increase Notification' from the water company in November 2022. They were informed that their water usage had increased by 7940 cubic meters, resulting in a water bill of around 24,000 CNY.
The cause of the issue was a leak in the underground pipe, which was not detected by the homeowner. According to the Sichuan Provincial Water Supply Regulations, the responsibility for maintaining the pipe lies with the homeowner. This is because the regulations use the water meter as a benchmark for determining responsibility. It is worth noting that the pipes may be hidden underground due to the irregular layout of urban villages.
Smart water meters could potentially solve this problem by allowing for easy data recording and analysis. With the use of simple algorithms, it is possible to detect anomalies in water flow and address the issue before significant losses occur. However, for this to be effective, the data from the smart water meters should be made available to the users in a simple and open format, allowing them to easily track their water usage and generate bills. This would be beneficial for users who want to create a 'Smart Home' or integrate their water usage data with accounting software.
**Note:** The author of the article received a 'Water Quantity Increase Notification' from the water company.