Israeli company plans to use drones to read water meters

Israeli metering company Arad Metering Technologies is proposing to use battery operated aerial drones to read water meters and detect leaks in the water networks.

The drones, a product of Israel’s hi-tech aerospace industry, would receive the data wirelessly, avoiding the need to send out meter readers or having to install a high power wireless network in what may be a sparsely populated area.

With their ability to cover a large geographical area the drone could read meters in hours over an area that traditionally could take tens of days to cover.

Arad has installed its 3G wireless water meter technology in various cities in Israel among others. As a result in Ariel and Kfar Shmaryahu the water waste has been reduced from an estimated 20 percent and 15 percent respectively to 5 percent, while in Petach-Tikva, water losses, long a problem in the city, are now running at around 2 percent.