Yorkshire Water is leading the way in modernizing water management through the deployment of 1.3 million smart water meters across the region. In partnership with Netmore Group, this ambitious project leverages LoRaWAN technology to enhance operational efficiency, improve leak detection and empower customers with greater insight into their water consumption. This initiative is setting a new benchmark for utility providers seeking sustainable and cost-effective solutions.

Yorkshire Water faced increasing pressure to reduce water leakage, improve operational efficiency and meet regulatory demands for sustainability. Traditional water metering systems, reliant on manual readings and cellular networks, posed significant challenges: 

• High Operational Costs: Manual meter reading and maintenance of cellular-based systems were costly and inefficient. 
• Limited Coverage: Cellular networks struggled to provide reliable connectivity in underground and remote locations. 
• Environmental Impact: Water loss from undetected leaks and inefficient monitoring conflicted with sustainability goals. 

Yorkshire Water partnered with Netmore Group to implement a smart metering solution powered by LoRaWAN technology. This solution provided: 

• Robust Network Architecture: A three-layer network combining 8,200 high tower sites and 2,400 monopoles for umbrella coverage, supplemented by mid-layer gateways and targeted indoor solutions to ensure 90% dual gateway connectivity. 
• Advanced Data Management: Millions of daily meter readings processed through Netmore's platform, enabling real-time leak detection and detailed consumption insights. 
• Long-Term Sustainability: LoRaWAN meters with up to 15 years of battery life significantly reduced maintenance costs and supported environmental goals by identifying leaks early and reducing water waste.

Advancements in wireless metering are transforming utility modernization. Network operators now play a central role in infrastructure projects, reinventing delivery with new protocols, pricing, and customer engagement models tailored to low-bandwidth IoT applications that use minimal power. 

Key considerations for selecting the right network partner for AMI projects: 

• Domain Expertise: Choose a partner with proven experience in building and managing scalable, secure, low-power networks across all phases, from design to maintenance. 
• Interoperability: The network should support multiple LPWAN standards to improve coverage and reduce inefficiencies and costs associated with legacy systems. 
• Carrier-Grade: The network must ensure fault tolerance, self-healing redundancy and high availability (99.999%) to meet the demands of critical infrastructure. 
• AMI Network Management: Ongoing monitoring, proactive maintenance and quick issue resolution are essential for optimal performance and accurate data. 
• Cost Predictability: Service pricing and SLAs should offer transparency and flexibility with customizable agreements to ensure project success and ROI. 

The partnerships between Netmore Group, Yorkshire Water and Semtech bring significant benefits, including enhanced IoT connectivity solutions, improved water management through real-time data analytics and the ability to optimize resource efficiency, ultimately leading to better service delivery and sustainability in water management. 

Utilizing Semtech’s LoRa® technology has provided many benefits for Yorkshire Water: 

• Enhanced IoT Connectivity: Leveraging Semtech's LoRa technology to provide reliable, long-range communication for IoT devices. 
• Improved Water Management: Real-time data analytics for monitoring water usage, distribution and quality, leading to more efficient management of water resources. 
• Optimized Resource Efficiency: The ability to track and manage water resources more effectively, reducing waste and improving sustainability. 
• Cost Savings: Reduced operational costs through automated monitoring and early detection of issues, minimizing manual interventions. 
• Sustainability: Advancing sustainability goals by using technology to reduce water loss and ensure better resource conservation. 
• Better Service Delivery: Enhanced decision-making through data-driven insights, improving the quality and reliability of water services to customers. 
• Scalable Solutions: The ability to scale the IoT network across different locations and applications, offering flexibility for future growth. 
• Data-Driven Innovation: Harnessing data for continuous improvement and the development of new services and technologies in the water sector.