Is it difficult to promote smart water meters?

Today, there are intelligent reflections everywhere in our lives. In fact, household water meters can also be intelligent. However, most users across the country are out of touch with smart water meters.

Many advantages of intelligence

An intelligent water meter is an electromechanical water meter that combines the “machine” of a traditional water meter with the “electricity” of microelectronics technology. At present, there are mainly three forms of intelligent water meters on the market. One is the two-way control products for wired remote communications. These products are relatively complicated to install and have high costs. The second is wireless remote communications bidirectional control products. Such installation is simple. The cost is lower, but the communication effect needs to be further improved. Third, the integrated construction of the IC card intelligent water meter has the advantage that the overall power consumption of the implement is small.

In recent years, with the implementation of “one household, one watch” in the water supply industry, the number of metering instruments has increased dramatically, and the workload of meter readers has also increased. Therefore, smart meter reading technology is used to improve the efficiency and service level of meter reading. Has become the consensus of the water supply industry. The application of intelligent water meter mainly has several advantages: First, real-time monitoring can be realized, and faults can be discovered in time. Second, it is conducive to complete automation of meter reading and charging links. Third, it can prompt the water supply department to provide better services and measure more. Accurate water consumption; Fourth, it can simplify the management level of the water supply department and realize network management.

Slow progress over the years

China began to pilot the implementation of intelligent water meters around 1999. The research and development of smart water meters in Shanghai has basically started from this period of time. However, the progress has been slow over the years. So far, the city has about 30,000 types of various types. Intelligent water meters are in use. The most intense problem that IC card intelligent water meter users report is that they may experience sudden water stoppages at home. This is because the IC card intelligent water meter implements the prepayment method. If the user does not recharge as soon as possible after the water meter alarms, it will definitely suffer sudden water loss. Users of the smart remote wireless meter reading system are concerned that the high frequency and high-density radiation of the wireless data transmitter may cause harm to the human body.

From the point of view of cities across the country, the promotion of smart water meters has been faltering. The main problem is that it is not clear who should bear the first investment in the intelligent water meter. Because of the high cost of smart water meters, the first investment is a heavy burden for developers and water companies. If this cost is imposed on residents, it will cause dissatisfaction, which is a precedent in other cities. Secondly, even if the first investment is solved, how to share the running costs of the smart meter is also troublesome because the electricity, battery, traffic, and maintenance costs that may be involved in the operation of the smart meter are calculated as long as possible. It's a small sum. The third is who will bear the cost of the re-installation of the meter after 6 years of mandatory updating of the meter. It is also unknown. In addition to these major issues, the water supply department also believes that the cost of integrity after the installation of intelligent water meters is also a problem that cannot be ignored. For example, some cities have discovered that users have “tied hands” on IC card water meters to steal water.

A well-recognized good project has been grounded in practice. Some insiders said that this must be done in many ways: first, the authorities should issue policies and regulations for the implementation of intelligent water meters, and second, the issue of intelligent water meter selection and the future The direction of development; third is to solve the problem of the cost of intelligent water meters; fourth is to further promote people's water-saving awareness through the implementation of intelligent water meters.