Blue Tooth.

[Jim Brady]

I think Rob Page maybe able to answer this.A guy came to fix a water meter in my house last week I was hoping to have it fitted outside but I would've had to pay a lot of money to dig up the pavement etc.They want to fit it on the rising main inside the house,mine was behind the sink unit,a struggle but he did it.I suggested it would be a bit of a job for the meter reader to read the meter.Not a problem head office read the meter using blue tooth,as this meter is not connected to electricity or anything else how is this possible.??
Regards.
Jim.B.

[cappy]

gully gully man

[robpage]

The technology has been around for a few years , basically water passes through , no mechanical parts , and the flow makes an electronic pulse , the pulse is stored in the meter , which probably has a long life NiMh battery that because of the low power will last for years , this is probably topped up from the pulse . As the Water Board van drives by , it bounces a signal off the meter , and the return has the data with it . Hardly any power use at all . In the supermarket there are smart RFID tags on everything around here that the junkies will nick , the out gate of the supermarket can tell you that they have three cans of corned beef and a packet of razor blades , similar technology . As it is only your water consumption anyone with a USB receiver and a laptop or hand held terminal could read it , but does that matter .

[Keith Tindell]

Here on the Island when we went on water metres en bloc, i would have preferred my meter under the sink, but the water company would not do that. The water meters are situated right on the boundary of your property, so that way you are responsible for the pipework between the meter and the house. They will of course sell you insurance for the pipework across your property. KT

[robpage]

My understanding is Southern Water did that as an experiment a few years ago , the new generation of " smart " meters are a superior beast , but the pipework from the meter in the road to your house is still your responsibility

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Jim.
Houses in Aus have always had thier meters inside the boundary fence, and the housholder is responsible for the pipes on the property. They used to use Galvanised pipes over here which got corroded, I don't know what they use over there but make sure you use copper it lasts forever, unless you shove a spade through it when gradening.
Cheers Des
PS they just drive pass and click a meter to read it.

[robpage]

Heavy duty blue plastic here for at least the last twenty years , before that copper , before that poisoning the occupant lead .

[j.sabourn]

Who owns the water there now, heard that the Kielder reservoir was bought by the French. What are they going to do with it make it into cologne and sell back. Are there any of the British utilities left that are British owned apart from 600 and odd politicians. Cheers John Sabourn

[happy daze john in oz]

Watre meters here in Oz now come in two types. One for potable water and the meter is in the front garden usualy. Copper pipe still used in some areas but the new style poly pipe is now in use as it is cheaper.
Second meter is for water in the purple pipe. Thast is recycled water to use on the garden, a fairly new concept. when the first recycled water went in there was no meter, then someone said, 'we can make money out of this' and in went the meters.
Water tanks are big business here, being used for the garden or the toilet in many houses. If you get a plumber to connect there was a gov reabate of 25% of tank cost. Samrt people did it them selves. If you claim the rebate then the local council are notified and up go the rates as you have a capital improved attatchment.

[cappy]

the French own kielder water I don't like it I sent them a letter in English but they sent me a French letter back so I sent them a apple tart but they didntsend me a French one......yet