Preserving water with SUEZ and Vodafone Business

In the video below, hear from Patricia Villoslada, SVP SUEZ Digital Solutions, and Giorgio Migliarina, Director of Products & Services, Vodafone Business, about how digital solutions can address major issues facing the water industry.

SUEZ, the leading company in circular solutions for water and waste services in more than 40 countries, announced in April 2024 a partnership with Vodafone Business to accelerate the global roll-out of remote water meter-reading using narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) technology. The partnership will lead to greater use of sophisticated and highly responsive smart water meters to help businesses and individuals reduce unnecessary water consumption.

Water Company of the Year

At the recent 2024 Global Water Summit held in London, SUEZ was awarded ‘Water company of the year’ by Global Water Intelligence (GWI), a leading publisher and think-tank serving the international water industry. The summit also provided the ideal backdrop for Patricia Villoslada and Giorgio Migliarina to discuss how the two companies are collaborating on new digital services to support a more sustainable future.

15% reduction in water consumption

In the video, Patricia describes how the aim is to bring more than two million NB-IoT connected smart water meters into service by 2030. She also observes that connected smart meters can reduce the volume of water wasted unnecessarily by up to 15% through the improved detection of leaks, monitoring consumption and end-user information, and continuous improvement of virtuous usages.

SUEZ, which among other things, supplies drinking water to more than 57 million people worldwide each year, has already installed more than 6 million smart water devices. The company now plans to build on this leadership position by extending its new connected service with Vodafone. SUEZ recently chose the UK as the launch market and plans to progressively roll out the connected service to its customers in France, Italy, Spain, and New Zealand.

15-year battery life

Giorgio explained how Vodafone’s global NB-IoT network is ideal for connecting remote water meters and sensors since it provides a strong signal over wide distances and in hard-to-reach underground and insulated locations.

In addition, the water sensors can operate independently on the same battery for more than 15 years without needing to be recharged. This is due the energy efficient nature of NB-IoT, and the fact that water sensors only need to transmit data at very low rates and don’t need to be tracked on the move.

AI-based data analysis

In addition to allowing customers to analyse water consumption and predict peaks using data and artificial intelligence (AI), the SUEZ digital solutions help them instantly respond and alert consumers to any issues such as a major leak or shortage. SUEZ’s sensors also enable industrial companies to collect and analyse data from multiple locations to meet environmental targets, as well as improve productivity and profitability.