Helensvale Aquatic Centre is a popular local swim centre with a 25 meter lap pool/children’s water play area, an indoor learn-to-swim pool and amenities for pool users and their guests.
City of Gold Coast installed a the SmartMeter Utility Management Solution on the main meter of the Helensvale Aquatic Complex in February 2014 as part of a strategic water management project.
The SUMS platform illustrated that water consumption for the complex varied greatly with average water usage at approximately 15,000 litres per day. A key indicator investigated was the overnight water usage during the period from 12 midnight till 5.00am.
Clearly overnight water usage would be near nil if all pools were covered and no leaks occurred in the system. However, as the main pool includes an island, an area approx 340sqm remains uncovered. As the water is heated, water loss and evaporation will inevitably occur. The SUMS platform identified baseline overnight water usage during this period to be 74 litres every 15 minutes.
Around the 25th June the SmartMeter Solution alerted Council’s Asset Custodian to excess overnight water usage between 12 midnight and 5am with consumption increasing to 190 litres every 15 minutes. Council Plumbers were alerted and over the course of the week consumption continued to rise till it reached 900 litres every 15 minutes. Council plumbers tested the pool’s balance tank, scum gutters, supply and return lines and finally the problem was isolated to four broken droppers in one of the scum gutters. Repairs were scheduled immediately and water consumption dropped back to 80-90 litres every 15 minutes.
This example illustrates the importance of water monitoring and automatic alert systems when excessive water usage occurs. With a number of Council’s Aquatic Centres managed externally it also assists in providing visibility of water consumption. Had the SmartMeter Utility Management Solution not been installed the leak may have continued unabated until the December Water Bill was received. In this instance alone it is estimated that Watersave SUMS helped Council to save at least 6,700kL of water and $25,460 in excess water charges.
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