Smart Meters, Smarter Cities: How Central Coast Leads the Way

Central Coast’s smart metering helps businesses curb water loss, offering a scalable blueprint for utility innovation and digital transformation.

27 Jun 2025

Central Coast Council has begun a new smart metering programme aimed at improving water management for its largest commercial users, in one of the more ambitious digital utility initiatives undertaken by a regional Australian authority.

Launched in June, the scheme equips 100 high-usage business customers with advanced digital water meters connected to MyWater, an online dashboard that alerts users to leaks or abnormal consumption patterns in real time.

The council said the move is designed to help businesses detect problems early and reduce both costs and water loss. “It’s about giving businesses the tools to act fast and save water before damage is done,” a council spokesperson said. “It also helps us manage infrastructure with far greater precision.”

The pilot reflects a broader shift towards using digital tools to stretch the lifespan of ageing water systems amid growing climate pressure. Although major cities such as Sydney and Melbourne have invested in city-wide smart metering, Central Coast’s more targeted rollout could offer a blueprint for other regional councils.

Unlike traditional meters that record data monthly or quarterly, smart meters provide near-instant feedback. This allows users and water providers to respond quickly to potential leaks or surges in demand, capabilities seen as increasingly important in drought-prone areas.

Digital platforms such as MyWater also support more accurate forecasting and resource planning. Experts say the integration of data analytics into water networks is now seen as essential for long-term resilience.

The council has indicated that if the commercial rollout proves successful, the programme could expand to include households. However, further adoption will depend on maintaining user engagement, protecting customer data, and ensuring that system performance meets expectations.

While modest in scale, the initiative demonstrates how smaller jurisdictions can apply technology to longstanding infrastructure challenges. It may also draw attention from other councils looking to modernise without the capital outlays typical of large urban projects.