The United Nations lists access to clean water for all as its sixth SDG goal. IoT firm RMS Luxembourg is working on solutions that help save money and raise awareness to help prevent households from wasting this precious resource.
For many people, the floods of July 2021 were a wake-up call about the destructive power of water. Yet often the most costly water problems are not visible to the eye. “A leaking toilet costs the homeowner an additional €400 per year,” says RMS founder Carlo Posing.
Seven years ago, the IoT solution evangelist developed smart water meters to replace the drive-by/walk-by meter reading systems, whose sole purpose was to bill the customer. “Today the need of a water meter is to check for leakage, to inform about a leakage and to show people what their consumption is,” says Posing, adding: “If you want to become conscious about water consumption, it starts with knowing your water usage. Then everyone can decide on their own how much he wants to use and how much he wants to pay.”
Boulaide was the first of more than ten communes to roll out RMS’ solution, which uses smart IoT water sensors communicating on the public 0G network. This seamless public wireless network, invented by Sigfox, provides lowest cost transmission per information on the market. The meters have a ten-year plus life expectancy and, thanks to the 0G network, require no additional infrastructure to function. “We densify the network on the communal territory to get a deep indoor coverage, which is necessary to operate the water meter,” says Posing.
“If you want to become conscious about water consumption, it starts with knowing your water usage.”
Carlo Posing, Founder & CEO of RMS Luxembourg
The technology appears to be paying off. The entrepreneur recalled how one technician who installed a meter at an address in Boulaide received a leak alert on his phone, while waiting for a flight at Findel. Coincidentally, the owner of the home from which the alert came was due to board the same flight. The technician notified him in person and the latter made arrangements to solve the problem. “Had the leak not been found, the man would have returned from holiday with a €3-4,000 water bill,” says Posing.
The entrepreneur reckons that individuals get a return on investment within two years, “because we find close to 100% of leaks”. In most instances, owners of homes not equipped with smart meters will only discover if they have a leak when they receive the water bill. And they are obliged to pay. Posing pointed out that one landowner in Luxembourg was billed €200,000 as a result of a water leak.
The tech is so successful, Posing and his team are working on other use cases. RMS has developed a proof of concept for a system that monitors heat and humidity levels in social housing to avoid wastage and ensure comfort. “As with the water meter, you can invoice for the water but you can also show your consumption and so help people to better manage their budget by using less,” says Posing. His team is also examining smart sensors for fridges, aimed at the hospitality industry. “We’ve tested some sensors that are on the market and think we can develop them more cheaply. And if we build them ourselves, we can repair them,” he says.
For Posing, IoT offers endless possibilities for problem-solving. The biggest obstacle to rolling out these innovations, he says, “is the lack of human resources. No-one has the time to change things because everyone is so busy.”
This article was first published in the Silicon Luxembourg magazine. Read the full digital version of the magazine on our website, here. You can also choose to receive a hard copy at the office or at home. Subscribe now.
