Turning on smart water taps
Auckland’s Outpost Central has created a new kind of smart water meter it says could help utilities, mining and farming organisations use 20 percent less water in just the first year.
The lithium battery operated smart meters can be deployed to remote locations with little access to power and can last up to five years.
The GSM enabled devices also transmit valuable performance data from any location within mobile range. The information is sent to a company’s website or billing system for efficient tracking and reporting.
The meters are designed to capture information about everything from air and land temperature along with myriad other measurements for soil and other factors.
Outpost Central’s founders James Riddell and Jed Forbes began the company in 2002 while at university, aiming to create a solution for companies needing to comply with increasing water restrictions and environmental regulation.
GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt awarded Outpost Central $100,000 in March 2013 as part of GE’s ecomagination Challenge, an open innovation challenge where businesses, entrepreneurs, innovators and students share their best ideas on how to reduce carbon emissions.