The Water Authority – Cayman has completed a pilot of smart metering technology that could change how the utility monitors water consumption and detects leaks across its network.
The Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Pilot Project began in February and tested two smart metering systems and two communications technologies.
In a press release on 28 September, the authority said the technology could improve operational efficiency, speed up leak detection and provide customers with more timely information about their water use.
AMI links water meters with communications and data systems that automatically collect readings at regular intervals.
The system differs from conventional meter reading because consumption data can be gathered without a manual reading at the property.
The Water Authority has been assessing AMI for several years.
Board documents show that the authority identified a pilot study in 2018 to determine the feasibility of installing the technology in Cayman as part of efforts to maintain infrastructure and improve operational efficiency.
By 2019, authority documents said work on the pilot study was continuing.
They described AMI as a system that could collect detailed, time-based consumption information frequently, and distribute the data to customers and the authority to support operational and business decisions.
The technology has also been considered in relation to non-revenue water.
In 2024, the authority said its district meter areas used bulk meters to compare the volume of water entering sections of the distribution network with water sales and identify potential problem areas.
AMI could add more detailed consumption data to that process.
The authority said smart meters could be read automatically every 10 to 15 minutes, allowing water entering a district to be compared with customer consumption over the same period and reducing the lag associated with less frequent readings.
Water Authority – Cayman director Dr Gelia Frederick van Genderen said completing the pilot marks a major milestone in its journey toward modernising its piped water distribution network.
“The insights gained from testing advanced metering technologies will play a critical role in shaping our next steps and ensuring that any future deployment delivers meaningful benefits to our customers and our operations,” she said.
The smart meters used in the pilot will remain installed, although their communications functions have been deactivated. They will be read manually for billing purposes.
The authority will analyse the pilot data over the coming months before deciding whether to pursue wider AMI deployment.
The analysis will be used to inform a potential business case, procurement strategy, system integration and assessment of customer benefits.
The authority’s regulations already require meters to record the quantity of water delivered to premises connected to the public water supply system.
