The installation of smart water meters to households and businesses across Mount Isa is set to start on Monday, November 15.
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"As with almost everything at the moment, COVID-19 has delayed delivery of the new technology until now," Mayor Danielle Slade said.
"However, I am happy to confirm that the meter installers (National Plumbing Solutions) will arrive in Mount Isa on November 15 to commence works.
"With uncertain shipping times, the contractor, Suez Water, is airfreighting the first batch of meters directly from Germany to ensure that they arrive in time for installation prior to Christmas."
Work will initially commence with the larger commercial and industrial meters, which council said can involve extensive work, with many sites requiring excavation and pipework modifications to accommodate the new smart meters.
Large meters installed since 2015 do not need to be replaced and will instead be retrofitted with a pulse unit to record flow and consumption.
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The first batch of 500 residential (20mm) Smart Water Meters is due to arrive in Mount Isa by the end of November and will be installed from early December.
The swap out of existing analogue meters to Smart Water Meters will commence in the south of the city, starting in the Happy Valley area and working north.
"There are approximately 500 meters south of Twenty-Third Avenue, so it makes sense to complete this area first," Cr Slade said.
"Customers will soon start to receive communications regarding the meter installs.
"After the first 500 domestic meters are installed, Council will have the opportunity to review how things went and make any changes to the process before the next shipment arrives.
"These new water meters use state-of-the-art magnetic resonance technology to record water usage, are much more accurate than traditional mechanical meters, and remain accurate for a lot longer.
"Property owners will also be able to keep track of their water usage in real time, thanks to the web portal that will come with the smart meters.
"This has the added benefit of alerting you as soon as it detects any leaks on your property, which can save you a lot of money and hassle, particularly if the leak is invisible.
"I'm so pleased the smart meter rollout will be commencing very soon. This really will be a game changer for our community."
The next shipment of smart meters is due to arrive in the first quarter of 2022.
The $2.946 million project was made possible thanks to $1.766 million in funding from the State Government's Local Government Grants and Subsidies Program, with a Council contribution of $1.179 million.
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