Polish water utilities shift to remote meter reading to cut losses

Polish water utilities are replacing traditional on‑site meter reading with remote radio‑enabled devices. Companies such as Zielonogórskie Wodociągi i Kanalizacja have signed contracts to install 18,000 radiotelemetry kits, while Aquanet plans to fit around 130,000 devices for roughly 900,000 residents, with full deployment targeted for 2029. The new system transmits hourly consumption data and can issue alerts when usage spikes, enabling faster leak detection, pressure control and theft prevention.

The initiative aims to lower water losses that average 20‑25 % nationwide and reach up to 58 % in some regions, as highlighted by a recent NIK audit. Early adopters like MPWiK in Wrocław have already reduced losses to about 4 % using similar technology, and municipalities such as Przasnysz are adding night‑flow monitoring and DMA zoning to further improve water management.