The Water Supplies Department (WSD) aims to reduce water usage by 500,000 cubic meters this year -- equivalent to 200 Olympic-sized swimming pools – with the launch of smart meter readers and data analytics to slash water waste.

The Water Smart Taskforce Program, carried out by the Centre for Water Technology & Policy at the University of Hong Kong from February until early next year, has invited approximately 1,000 domestic and non-domestic customers with high water consumption in phases to conduct detailed water-usage check-ups, helping them understand their water consumption habits.

Smart water meter readers with high precision and AI-powered technologies were installed on their existing meters to analyze the causes of high consumption. The system could identify whether domestic water usage is mainly for cooking, laundry or showering, and compare the findings with the averages of other households.

The data will then be transmitted to HKU for AI-driven analysis. Midterm reports with personalized water-saving advice will be provided to the program participants, and they can then adjust their water usage behavior accordingly.

By the end of the eight-week program, participants will receive final reports to understand how their water conservation efforts are taking effect.

WSD Senior Engineer (Water Conservation) Peter Fung Siu-cheuk noted that the program aims to help customers understand their water usage habits and identify potential leaks, allowing them to take early and appropriate actions to reduce their water bills.

It was learned that more than 80 percent of the participants in the domestic sector were able to reduce their water consumption.

Fung said each Hong Kong resident currently consumes an average of about 130 liters of water per day, while big data analytics show about 1 percent of domestic customers account for over 15 percent of the city’s total domestic water consumption.

(Staff reporter)

WSD launches smart meters aiming to cut water usage by 500,000 cubic meters this year