Can Smart Tech Solve Australia’s Water Woes?

Forthcoming NSW reforms are expected to accelerate digital metering and investment across Australia’s water sector

9 Oct 2025

Australia’s water industry is preparing for a quiet revolution. New regulations in New South Wales, due to take effect in 2025, are expected to accelerate the adoption of smart meters and digital monitoring across utilities and irrigation networks. The shift marks a broader national move toward data-driven management of water, a resource under growing pressure from drought, urbanisation and climate change.

Though the new Water Management (General) Regulation is not yet in force, its focus on transparency and data accuracy is already shaping behaviour. Technology firms such as Taggle Systems, long a supplier of smart metering networks to councils in Mackay and Townsville, report rising demand from utilities eager to comply. WaterGroup, an engineering and metering firm, has expanded its work with Sydney Water and regional authorities on leak detection and efficiency projects.

The momentum, analysts say, reflects a steady transition. “We’re seeing utilities plan for a more connected future,” says Dr Emma Reid, an infrastructure policy analyst in Sydney. “While large-scale rollouts will take time, the regulatory signal is clear. Digital water monitoring is becoming part of Australia’s infrastructure agenda.”

Investors are beginning to notice. Venture funds have started eyeing sensor-based and AI-enabled water systems, echoing global trends in smart resource management. Few large deals have closed, but clearer rules may draw capital over the next year.

Obstacles remain: replacing ageing meters is costly, and cybersecurity looms as a concern. Yet councils and utilities see the payoff in reduced water loss, more accurate billing and easier compliance. As regulation beds in, collaboration between governments, firms and financiers could help shift Australia’s water sector from pipes and pumps to platforms and data.