Itron Supports Hunter Water Digital Metering Pilot Program

Itron is expanding its collaboration with Hunter Water to support the Australian utility’s Digital Metering Pilot Program, a water network initiative focused on improving data visibility, reducing non-revenue water, and supporting customer conservation. Hunter Water serves the Lower Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia. Through the pilot program, the utility plans to use digital meter data to improve water network management, identify leaks sooner, and provide customers with more detailed insight into their water use.

The deployment will include 2,000 Itron Intelis wSource NB-IoT ultrasonic water meters, with rollout expected to begin in the third quarter of 2026. The meters are designed to provide near real-time visibility into customer water consumption, supporting faster leak detection and quicker operational response to reduce water loss.

Hunter Water will manage data from the new Itron digital meters through Temetra, Itron’s cloud-based meter data management solution. The utility already uses Temetra and will use the platform to manage information from both the new digital meters and existing mechanical meters within a single system.

The pilot program is part of Hunter Water’s broader effort to build a more data-driven and resilient water network. By centralizing meter data and improving access to usage information, the utility can support operational improvements and more informed decision-making as water resources become increasingly constrained.

Over the past nine years, Hunter Water has reported a 33 percent reduction in water leaks across its network through projects implemented under its water loss reduction program. The addition of digital meters is intended to build on that progress by improving visibility across customer usage patterns and helping the utility respond more quickly to potential leaks.

“At Hunter Water, we are committed to embracing innovative solutions that support our community and help us reduce water losses across our network,” said Matt Hingston, Executive Manager, Customer Services. “Digital water meters provide more timely and detailed insight into water consumption, which helps us identify potential leaks sooner and respond more effectively. Just as importantly, this data helps Hunter Water to tailor our approach to directly engaging with customers about their water use and to encourage them to make more informed decisions about conservation.”

For water utilities, digital metering and meter data management systems are becoming increasingly important tools for resource conservation, infrastructure reliability, and customer engagement. These technologies can help utilities move from periodic consumption readings toward more timely insight into network performance, supporting improved planning and more efficient water management.

“With decades of history working together, Itron and Hunter Water have delivered projects that reflect evolving operational goals and changing environmental conditions,” said Justin Patrick, senior vice president of Device Solutions at Itron. “As an existing Temetra customer for more than five years, deploying Itron digital water meters represents the next step in Hunter Water’s digital water journey. Temetra gives Hunter Water the flexibility to adopt and deploy new technologies at its own pace, supporting both current needs and future innovation. We look forward to continuing our work together and helping the utility achieve its long term operational and water management goals.”

The collaboration between Itron and Hunter Water reflects the growing role of intelligent infrastructure in sustainable utility operations. As water systems face rising pressure from aging infrastructure, resource constraints, and changing environmental conditions, digital metering can provide utilities with practical tools to improve visibility, reduce losses, and support more resilient service delivery.

About Hunter Water

Hunter Water is a state-owned corporation providing drinking water, wastewater, recycled water, and some stormwater services across the Lower Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia. The utility supports residential, business, and community water needs while managing water supply, wastewater services, water conservation programs, and infrastructure planning for the region. Hunter Water’s work includes network operations, environmental management, water quality, customer service, and long-term planning to support reliable and sustainable water services. For more information, please click here. 

About Itron, Inc.

Itron, Inc. is a technology company focused on intelligent infrastructure for energy, water, and smart city applications. The company provides metering, communications, data management, analytics, and software solutions used by utilities and cities to improve operational efficiency, infrastructure resilience, and resource management. Itron serves customers across electric, gas, water, and smart city markets, supporting applications including advanced metering, distribution automation, grid management, water management, and connected infrastructure. Itron, Inc. is listed on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol ITRI.  To learn more, please click here.

Source/Photo Credit: Itron, Inc.

(Editor’s Note: Itron is a registered trademark of Itron, Inc. All third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Use of these trademarks is for informational purposes only and does not imply any relationship between Itron and the third party unless expressly stated.)

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(Editor’s Note: All trademarks mentioned in this article, including company names, product names, and logos, are the property of their respective owners. Use of these trademarks is for informational purposes only and does not imply any endorsement.)