The installation of smart water meters across Moree Plains Shire has reached the halfway mark with 1850 residences now fitted with a new smart water meter reader.
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The smart water meter readers offer residents greater control over their water consumption by providing access to regular and automatic readings of their water usage while also alerting residents to high levels of usage and potential leaks.
Moree Plains Shire Council's acting director of Engineering Alan Lawrance has noted that some households might experience a change in water pressure after the new smart meter is installed due to the connecting pipe network.
"Older houses will have an older pipe network under their properties or coming from Council's grid connecting to their water meters, these pipes will most likely have holes and cracks which are clogged by rocks and dirt," Mr Lawrance said.
"While the new meters are installed the holes and cracks in the pipes have probably been disturbed creating a leak and affecting the water pressure coming from your tap.
"While the new meters are expected to reduce the water pressure by about 5 percent, this should not be noticeable when turning on taps or having a shower."
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The rust and corrosion which occurs to the pipes is caused by a combination of the harsh Australian landscape, changing weather patterns experienced across the Shire and the age of the underground pipes.
As a result, council commenced works earlier this year on replacing the ageing infrastructure of the water mains which makes up a large proportion of the underground pipe network.
The second round of installation is expected to begin later this month and be almost completed by the end of August.
Following completion of the installation of smart meters throughout the Shire, residents will be provided with instructions on how to register for the customer portal and access and monitor their own water usage.
Residences experiencing issues with water pressure or water delays when turning on taps after their smart meter has been installed should report the problem to Council and an employee will come and assess the issue.
For more information or to report a problem please call Customer Service on (02) 6757 3222.