Sabesp, one of the largest waters and sewage service providers in the world, announces that it has successfully completed the implementation of 100,000 smart water meters with the Internet of Things (IoT) technology. The project, which is one of the largest in Latin America, introduces water consumption telemeasurement in Sabesp's 100,000 largest consumers in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo.
The Metrolink consortium is delivering the project and comprises companies Laager and Vita Ambiental, which won the contract after a competitive bidding process Sabesp started at the end of 2018. WND's Sigfox 0G network was the communication technology selected by Sabesp for more than 92,000 of the total connected water meters. WND is the exclusive operator of Sigfox technology in Brazil. Sigfox technology enables the transport of data wirelessly, at low cost, over long distances, with minimum energy consumption. The devices will be in operation for at least five years without changing or recharging the battery.
Telemetering – the remote reading of meters – automates the process of measuring water consumption. The task was performed manually once a month and can now be performed multiple times a day. In addition to measurement, the system also generates alarms and important statistics about the operation of the entire water network. All of these new features bring reliability, transparency and savings to consumers and unprecedented operational efficiency for Sabesp.
Ricardo Batista, Sabesp's Division Manager and responsible for the project commented that the project marked the large-scale adoption of the IoT concept by Sabesp. The new technology enables our customers to monitor water consumption daily, as well as leak detection, saving money and preserving the environment, in addition to better management of resources by their company. According to Felipe Duque Estrada, CEO of Laager, the success of the project is largely due to the partnership with Sigfox and WND Brazil. Further, he explained that the adoption of 0G network technologies from Sigfox ensured the economic and technological viability of the project.
José Almeida, Deputy CEO of WND Brazil said that thanks to Sabesp's pioneering approach, Laager's expertise and their work together, they have delivered one of the largest IoT projects in the Americas. The results achieved demonstrate, without any doubt, that their technology and business model are the best choices for IoT projects today. Carlos Beato, VP Americas at Sigfox concluded by stating that they are incredibly proud of SABESP’s achievement and visionary take on smart water metering. The benefits of such a solution go far beyond remote reading. It truly transforms the customer experience and Quality of Service.
