SA “Apa-Canal Chisinau” (ACC), in concert with the mobile phone carrier Orange, launched the project “Smart Water Metering Solution” that is designed to optimize water consumption by measuring the used water volume and transmitting the readings online to the supplier’s information system. The pilot project includes the management of 102 meters installed in the apartments of a block situated in Buiucani district, IPN reports.

According to the organizers, the project offers solutions designed to optimize water consumption by implementing modern technologies. “A smart city has smart networks. Orange launched such a project in Hancesti town a year ago, but this is designed to optimize the use of street electricity by applying smart solutions,” said Orange Moldova director general Julien Ducarroz.

The water supplier said the implemented solution offers a number of benefits, such as distance reading of water meters in any area, multistory buildings, industrial enterprises and offices, automated billing for each user apart, optimization of the supplier’s operational costs and increase in the level of end-users’ confidence, identification and elimination of the difference in the volumes of consumed water measured by block meters and individual apartment meters.

“Today we achieved a good result in terms of difference in volumes. We take an important step towards implementing the distance water meter reading program. The metering of water consumption is an efficient management instrument and a proof of the social and environmental responsibility,” said ACC director general Veronica Herta.

This technological solution was possible owing to a partnership established by Orange with the Italian water and heat meters company Maddalena, which covered 50% of the costs of meters.