With a smartphone on hand, HCMC residents can monitor their domestic water use, leakage, and even online payment no matter where they are.

A representative of Rynan Technologies introduces the smart water meter at a meeting with HCMC leaders in this file photo

The above features are built into what is called a “smart water meter” currently in trial use in some households in Go Vap District. The product is developed by Rynan Technologies Joint Stock Company in collaboration with Tan Hoa Water Supply Joint Stock Company.

Talking with the Daily on February 13, an executive of Tan Hoa said the smart water meter would be for test use in three months to measure its effectiveness, and any shortcomings will be addressed. Device inspection will be taken, and online payment procedures figured out before the water meter can be widely used.

Rynan Technologies’ application for the smart water meter installation project was submitted to the HCMC Department of Transport late last week. This is a cloud-computing and internet-based application monitoring domestic water use, enabling users to check information and water use data, and leakage detection via a smartphone.

In a related development, HCMC Party Committee secretary Dinh La Thang, during a working session with Saigon Water Supply Corporation (Sawaco) last Saturday, urged the water supply industry to apply new technology to management, especially the installation of new hi-tech water meters, to save costs by reducing the number of water meter reading workers.

According to Saigon Water Supply Company (Sawaco), all households in the city have had access to clean water. HCMC’s water loss rate was 28.3% in 2016 and it is expected to be reduced to 26% in 2017.

The 2016 water loss rate of 28.3% implies a waste of 177 million cubic meters a year, equivalent to nearly VND940 billion.

Bach Vu Hai, deputy director of Sawaco, told the Daily the city’s Party chief had asked Sawaco to draw up a plan for reducing water losses to less than 10% by 2020.

In a report at the meeting, Sawaco said it would receive more new tap water from Thu Duc 3 with a capacity of 300,000 cubic meters per day and Tan Hiep 2 with a capacity of 150,000 cubic meters per day, increasing the city’s total clean water supply to 2.18 million cubic meters per day from the current 1.7 million cubic meters.

SGT