MySDRCWater launches for Water Week!

Southern Downs Regional Council is excited to announce that the MySDRCWater customer portal is now live in time for National Water Week!

During National Water Week, which falls between 16 and 22 October, Council encourages all Stanthorpe residents with smart water meters to log on to MySDRCWater to track water consumption and detect potential water leaks or any high water use activities.

Southern Downs Mayor Vic Pennisi says the smart water meter program is a win-win for the community.

“The smart water meters and MySDRCWater customer portal will provide customers with valuable insights into how they use water, allowing them to develop their own strategies to manage consumption,” Mayor Pennisi said.

During Stage 1 of the project, more than 2,700 smart water meters were installed throughout Stanthorpe in both residential and commercial properties. Council has progressed the project to implement and test the MySDRCWater customer portal, and access to the portal is now available to residents.

“Water security is a pressing concern for our region as we head into a dry period and this smart water meter technology will help us reduce any unnecessary water waste,” Mayor Pennisi said.

“We also expect to see a reduction in water bills for many residents as leaks can be identified, quantified and addressed quickly. That leaky tap or toilet that has been ignored adds up and MySDRCWater will highlight just how much water is being lost by these seemingly insignificant leaks. Then, there are concealed leaks underneath properties causing damage to infrastructure that might go unnoticed for months on end. These can now be identified and fixed, saving money and water.”

A favourite feature within MySDRCWater includes the leak and high consumption alerts via SMS and email. Council encourages all residents to set their leak alert threshold to 10 litres per hour. Another handy feature is the automatic weekly and monthly email water reports, with water consumption data delivered straight to your inbox!

Not only do the smart water meters assist residents monitor water usage but the system will also provide many benefits to Council such as improved water network management, identification of water losses in the network and improved customer service as water data can help answer enquiries.

Council staff will also benefit from not having to access properties to manually read the meters which puts them at risk with aggressive dogs, wildlife, hard to access high-risk environments and harsh weather conditions. Staff can instead focus on managing the water network more efficiently. During water restrictions periods, Council can also better manage water resource conservation by tracking in real time where and how water is being used.

Residents in Stanthorpe can now sign up for the portal at https://mysdrcwater.sdrc.qld.gov.au. Residents will need to have their rates notice handy for the information required to register their property. Tenants and property agents can also sign up, subject to approval from the property owner.

“Let’s all take action this National Water Week by identifying any potential water savings as every drop counts!” Mayor Pennisi said.

Council has engaged Taggle Systems for Stage 2 of the roll-out of smart meters throughout the rest of the region, which will commence in January 2024. Council will notify residents prior to installation.

This project is jointly funded by the State and Federal Governments via the Local Economy Recovery funding program and co-contribution from Council.