Jambi City smart water pilot starts with GHD tech from Canada

Perumdam Tirta Mayang Kota Jambi and GHD have entered into a joint pilot project that aims to improve water data management and customer service in Jambi City, Indonesia.

Pilot project overview

The collaboration originates from a Letter of Intent signed between the two organisations as part of a government-to-government partnership between Canada and Indonesia. The initiative is supported by the Canadian Embassy to Indonesia and the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC). CCC plays a role in encouraging Canadian participation in overseas infrastructure and utility projects.

The current operations of Jambi City's municipal water utility, Perumdam Tirta Mayang, depend on manual meter readings. This existing process has been identified as less efficient, particularly in terms of billing and detecting issues such as leaks or non-revenue water losses. The shift towards a digital smart metering system is a major component of the new pilot scheme.

It is projected that over 100,000 existing water meters in Jambi City could ultimately be replaced by smart meters. These meters would have the ability to automatically record water consumption and securely transmit the data via a remote network. The anticipated improvement in data accuracy and timeliness is expected to bolster operational efficiency and customer relations for the utility.

Project objectives

Dwike Riantara, Managing Director of Perumdam Tirta Mayang, outlined the motivations for the project, addressing ongoing water management challenges for the city. He stated:

"Jambi City requires a significant breakthrough in addressing the challenges of water management, reduce water loss, promote water conservation, and move towards a more sustainable and efficient water future. The pilot project with our Canadian counterparts offers a promising solution for modernising our business process, with the potential to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance customer service."

The role of GHD as the pilot project's delivery partner will involve working closely with the utility through several stages. GHD's responsibilities include assessing the current state of metering, evaluating different types of smart meters and communication technologies, and supporting integration with existing billing systems.

Canadian perspectives and technical approach

Phil Baker, GHD's Country Manager for Indonesia, commented on GHD's experience and the potential impact of the implementation in Jambi:

"We are proud to be part of this collaborative effort to bring Advanced Water Metering to Jambi, working closely with Jambi City's municipal water utility and the Canadian Commercial Corporation. Jambi is poised to benefit from GHD's experience in helping water utilities adopt smart metering across the Asia-Pacific, Australia and North America in response to ageing infrastructure, rising operational costs and the need to better manage water demand and losses. Our approach seeks to fully harness the potential of smart meters as part of an integrated program spanning strategy, change management and system integration to benefit stakeholders and the environment."

The pilot, referred to as Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI 2.0), will evaluate the technical and organisational aspects of smart metering. This includes integration with digital systems for billing and management, as well as ensuring secure data transmission and storage.

Don Holland, Project Director and GHD's Canadian Water Leader, emphasised that the project goes beyond addressing billing concerns. He said:

"Smart metering is not only about more accurate billing. It's about enabling broader digital and organisational transformation. The project's objectives are to improve meter reading accuracy, enhance water conservation efforts, reduce non-revenue water, reduce operational costs, and detect leaks and abnormal usage patterns. Smart meters also give customers a better understanding of their water consumption and enable more responsible and environmentally positive use of this precious resource."

Long-term vision

With a focus on both operational improvements for the water utility and increased customer engagement, the pilot project's anticipated outcomes include enhanced efficiency, reduced costs, and the promotion of water conservation. The introduction of smart meters is viewed as a step toward a more sustainable approach to water management in Jambi City, aligning with broader objectives of improved infrastructure and resource stewardship.