María, a small municipality located in the province of Almería, has taken a major step toward digitizing its water network. Thanks to Hidroconta’s technology, a remote reading system has been launched that allows for precise water consumption monitoring, reduces losses, and improves service for residents..
The María Town Council identified a common issue faced by many municipalities: a lack of clear information on water consumption. There were no meters at the main points of the network, nor any remote reading system in homes. This made it difficult to detect leaks, plan maintenance, and hindered effective decision-making in water management.
A Project Designed to Optimize and Move Forward
From the start, the goal of this project has been clear: to gain detailed insights into the municipality’s water consumption and use that data to improve network performance. The implemented technology provides visibility into how much water is used, when, and where, which helps identify irregularities and take action before issues arise.
Technology Serving the Municipality
To make this possible, a wireless communication network (LoRaWAN) has been installed throughout the urban center of María and in the village of Cañada de Canepla. This network connects the various devices that have been installed: smart meters in homes and measuring instruments at key points in the network that monitor flow rate, pressure, and water volume..
A total of 1,000 household meters with automatic remote reading via LoRaWAN technology have been installed, integrated into Atlantis meters located at user connection points. Additionally, 6 sector and reservoir meters of the Nautilus model have been installed, equipped with CLAC RS485 modules and Wireless M-Bus communications. These meters can measure flow, pressure, and positive, negative, and net volumes, providing a detailed overview of the network’s performance.
All this infrastructure is supported by a LoRaWAN communication network deployed with Kerlink gateways, thanks to the technical collaboration of Nexmachina. All devices are connected to Hidroconta’s digital platform, Deméter, where the María Town Council can access real-time data, analyze consumption, detect leaks, receive alerts, and make better decisions based on accurate and updated information.
A Fast and Efficient Rollout in Phases
The project began at the end of 2024. After an initial testing phase, the communication network was activated and, little by little, the meters were distributed and installed both in households and at key points of the network. The system is currently in its final implementation stage.
Results: More Information, Better Service
Since the new system was launched, the Town Council has already begun to see the first results: it is now possible to analyze residents’ consumption habits and gain a better understanding of how the network behaves.
A Management Model for Other Municipalities
The project in María proves that it is possible to digitize a municipality’s water system quickly, easily, and with excellent results. The solution implemented by Hidroconta combines cutting- edge technology with user-friendliness, supporting the digital transformation of water consumption networks..
