Road to Net Zero; Safety & Security 25 What’s smart about burying a smart meter? S
mart meters are seen as a signifi cant part of the solution to reducing domestic water usage. T ames Water have recorded
post installation savings of 12-17%. However, existing infrastructure does not provide the best environment for this new technology. Following multiple trials, all water companies
are now working on plans for Advanced metering infrastructure, where all new connections or meters use the latest generation of smart meters. T e issues raised in the early trials has led much of the UK water industry to recognise that the new technology meters need a better environment than the traditional hole in the ground. Experience has shown that the most eff ective
method of installing the advanced metering infrastructure is to locate the meter above ground. T e Groundbreaker water management system co-locates the water meter on the exterior wall of the dwelling, alongside gas and electric meters, providing a perfect location for high technology meters. In addition to providing a better environment
for the meter, locating the meter above ground has the additional benefi ts of readability for the consumer, extended signal transmission and easy meter exchange. Whilst developers see the short- term advantage of lower unit costs for traditional boundary boxes, the ongoing costs of reading meters and maintaining supplies can be higher for supply and housing management.
FUTURE PROOFING THE NETWORK Above ground meter housings do have a higher unit cost than traditional boundary boxes. However, when factoring in installation cost the diff erential is under £15 per unit and that’s before considering the long-term reliability of boundary boxes. T e House Builders Federation have determined that 53% of underground installations require re-work. With an average repair cost of £268.27, the average re-work cost per boundary box installed is approaching £150 . T ese failures lead to leakage and water waste.
WRc estimate 1 in 600 property connections suff er from leakage. Working on a predicted 90-day repair timeline, this leads to an estimated loss of 36 m2. By comparison the Groundbreaker System has no recorded re-work costs, where the unit was correctly installed – future proofi ng the network and minimising the risk of re-work and developing future leaks.
DESIGNING OUT LEAK PATHS A leak on a pipe joint upstream of the water meter results in lost revenue to the water provider as well as the loss of a precious resource. With Boundary boxes there is a lack of visibility of this leakage and requires assessments of losses from water meter data and investigations in the fi eld to listen for leakage. T e unique location of the Groundbreaker water management has the additional benefi t of
allowing for an unjointed water supply, hence maintaining the integrity of the supply. T e use of an uninterrupted supply has been recognised as best practice by Water UK and the Home Builders Federation. T is minimises the risk of future leakage on the service pipe. Steve Leigh, managing director of
Groundbreaker commented: “Portsmouth Water have demanded surface mounted meter housings as the standard required for all new properties for over 15 years. Working with them we have established the eff ectiveness and reliability of Groundbreaker.” So for future proofi ng water supply and reducing management costs of water supply, working with developers to install above ground meters is the long term solution.
01379 741993
groundbreaker.co.uk
MxPro 5 delivers tailored fi re protection
T ree next-generation Advanced MxPro 5 fi re panels have been installed across a multi-building residential development on Westminster Bridge Road, London, delivering reliable protection for residents. Integrated Fire Safety Systems Ltd (IFSS) was responsible for all aspects of the fi re alarm installation across the buildings. T e team designed a Category L2 fi re system using three Advanced MxPro 5 single-loop panels, each managing 24 devices including multisensors and detectors. IFSS confi gured the system to transmit clear, building-specifi c information via a GSM monitoring unit.
0345 894 7000
www.advancedco.com
5-year warranty on CAST-powered products
C-TEC has announced that all its CAST-powered products will have a new 5 year warranty from 1 May 2025. CAST (C-TEC Addressable System Technology) is C-TEC’s own proprietary life-safety system protocol. With features designed to facilitate fast installation, servicing, maintenance and operation, CAST powers all the manufacturer’s fl agship systems. Hence the new warranty will cover not only its XFP and ZFP CAST addressable fi re systems but its EVAC-ALERT BS 8629 evacuation alert system, its HUSH-PRO BS 5839-6 Grade C residential fi re alarm systems and its new range of CAST-PRO combined detection and alarm devices.
01942 322744
c-tec.com
MANAGEMENT & MAINTENANCE
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FOLLOW US ON X: @HMM_ONLINE Housing Management & Maintenance June/July 2025 09/06/2025 12:14
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