The Larnaca Water Board (ΣΥΛ) is set to install 25,000 smart meters in consumers' premises, a move aimed at embracing advanced technologies to enhance performance and efficiency.

In a statement released by ΣΥΛ, the board has committed to incorporating smart technologies and digitalization as part of Cyprus's Recovery and Resilience Plan. This is expected to bolster the organization's operational and energy efficiency.

By June 2026, ΣΥΛ intends to replace 25,000 residential water meters with smart meters, which will be capable of recording and transmitting hourly water consumption data to a dedicated monitoring platform once daily.

The project, valued at €5 million, is particularly significant for the ΣΥΛ. Smart meters offer the capability to calculate the water balance in areas on a daily basis, promptly detect leaks in the distribution network, and better manage the network, ultimately reducing unaccounted-for water. The proposed initiative will largely be funded by the ΣΑΑ, contributing €3.25 million. Once installed, the system is expected to function for at least six years.

Furthermore, data from the smart meters, along with information from all existing and future intelligent systems of the ΣΥΛ, will be transferred to a "Digital Twin" - a computational model replicating the real system. This model will be developed by the "Koios" Research and Innovation Center of the University of Cyprus. The goal is to enhance the decision-making ability of the ΣΥΛ and timely detection and management of issues.

The initiative promises considerable benefits to consumers, including the ability to monitor their water consumption online and reducing the chance of paying elevated bills due to early leak detection in their premises.

Given the high installation costs, smart meters will be primarily placed in ΣΥΛ areas with high unaccounted-for water levels. Specifically, these areas will include the municipalities of Aradippou and Livadia, as well as zones with intense commercial activity and high consumption rates.

The ΣΥΛ has further plans to expand the installation of smart meters across its entire jurisdiction in subsequent stages.