What's Happening in Westbury, NY…

In an effort to better track water usage and identify leaks, the village of Old Westbury recently started a smart water meter program.

The water department installed smart water meters at 25 residential properties in the village. Like regular water meters, the smart meters track water usage, but they are able to measure water use minute by minute. Residents who have the smart meters installed can track their results using an app.

Along with showing residents how much water they are using, municipal water departments can use poster printing to educate people on ways to reduce water use at home.

So far, the smart meter program has helped Westbury residents notice when there are leaks in the pipes. For example, at one of the test homes, the meter determined that there were 837 gallons of water used in one hour. When that occurred, the resident was not at home and their pool had overflowed.

The new water meter program also makes things easier for the water department. Meter readings are more accurate thanks to the smart meters. Water department employees no longer have to make manual readings, which helps reduce labor costs.

Due to the initial positive feedback, the department hopes to expand the smart meter program, so that ultimately each of the 1,300 water connections in the village has its own smart meter.

The program is expected to be fairly pricey, though, with the village looking at a total cost over $1m.