The Water Supplies Department (WSD) is dedicated to providing reliable and high-quality water supplies services to about 7.5 million Hong Kong residents. In June 2024, the WSD established the Digital Water Office to drive the digitalization of water supply services. The department has been proactive in adopting advanced technologies to enhance water management and services.
PUBLIC SECTOR
Challenges
To maintain and motivate an effective, efficient, and committed workforce is one of WSD’s missions. With this key goal in mind, it was decided that wireless Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) systems would be an upgrade for future infrastructure.
A technology partner with a comprehensive understanding of end-to-end system integration, wireless communication protocols and backend digital infrastructure would be necessary to ensure successful implementation. The project would also rely heavily on specialized knowledge and technical competence to cater for the uniqueness of different wireless communication technologies. Finally, data security for user data protection was also a top priority for the new system’s sustainability and widespread adoptability.
Solutions
LPS collaborated with the WSD to deploy the first Public Cellular Network Wireless Smart Water Meter system in Hong Kong. Cellular technology enables city-wide indoor coverage without additional wiring connected between devices and communication equipment. This simplifies deployment and maintenance compared to traditional wired AMI system alternatives, especially for deployment in existing buildings. Our end-to-end solution spanning system design, development, and implementation enables near-real-time water consumption monitoring and early detection of potential water leakage for the many properties adopting this technology across Hong Kong.
“A massive thanks to entire LPS team for the exceptional support and collaboration that led to the successful completion of the NB-IoT Wireless Smart Water Metering System. The completion of this project is a great milestone for smart water meter development in WSD.”
Ms. YY KO
Electrical & Mechanical Engineer, Digital Water Office
Value created
LPS’ seamless integration of smart water meters with wireless communication protocols and backend digital infrastructure has made great strides towards:
efficient and effective water management,
providing a reliable water supply, and
promoting water conservation
Our solution has eliminated the need for manual water meter checks, which were previously conducted every four months. At the same time, water consumption data that would have been collected during routine checks is now updated every half hour, providing a new source of near-real time data to support efficiency and conservation efforts. Potential water leakages that were previously found during manual checks can now also be detected on two-day intervals, creating a system of alert for proactive maintenance and repairs while saving precious resources.
Meanwhile, the system has empowered data-driven decision-making for digital water management, delivering valuable insights into water consumption patterns to identify trends, forecast demand, and plan infrastructure investments more effectively. Finally, the entire system is designed to be highly scalable, leaving ample room to expand and upgrade as we continue to roll out our solution to benefit more building estates and residents across the city. This ensures that the WSD can keep pace with the latest technological advancements for water management without significant overhauls to existing infrastructure, allowing flexibility and room to adapt to evolving changes and upgrades in the long-run.
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