Utility companies across Europe are striving to advance sustainability in their operations. A recent initiative in Greece from Cisco and its partners showcases how technology can support better service for consumers and digital innovation within the utility sector.

Located between Athens and Thessaloniki, Larissa is a region in central Greece surrounded by agricultural land. DEYAL, the municipal water supply and sewage utility, manages water and wastewater services for the region’s 250,000 residents. The organisation has a longstanding goal of benefiting citizens and the environment by investing in cutting-edge technologies to manage the municipality’s natural resources.

In support of this goal, Cisco partnered with DEYAL and IoTECH, a technology company, to digitise the municipality’s collection of domestic water meter readings by implementing a smart metering pilot for local households.

Funded through the Cisco Country Digital Acceleration Programme, the company designed, implemented and operated an Internet of Things network connected through LoRaWAN, a technology that allows for data transmission over long distances.

Over a two-month trial period, the LoRaWAN network connected 50 domestic water meters as well as sensors in industrial water refineries to provide DEYAL with information about the level of domestic water consumption. Cisco also developed a dashboard for DEYAL employees to visualise data on domestic water consumption and support verification of traditional water meters readings. The system also has the ability to identify areas of water wastage, facilitating faster implementation by municipal staff of corrective measures, such as repairing a leaking pipe.

Digitising the collection of water meter readings has the potential to save time for DEYAL staff and significantly reduce the number of traditional water meter readings, instead of technicians visiting houses and meters individually to read meters.

Because water is expected to become an increasingly precious resource due to climate change, better management of existing water resources is essential. By reducing the level of loss in the system and advancing sustainability in their operations, water utilities like DEYAL can help scarce resources go further.