Goyang City to Switch 90,000 Water Meters to Remote Management by 2028

This Year, 1.05 Billion KRW Invested to Install 10,500 Remote Reading Terminals
Real-Time Water Usage Monitoring with Smart Metering
Mayor Lee Donghwan: "Strengthening Smart Meter Monitoring... Improving Water Supply Management Efficiency"

Goyang Special City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Dong-hwan) is installing remote reading terminals on water meters throughout the city to manage water charges and leakage risks more accurately and promptly. The city has also activated a winter water meter freeze prevention response system to provide stable water services to citizens.

Lee Dong-hwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City. Provided by Goyang Special City

According to Goyang Special City on the 23rd, the city plans to convert all approximately 90,000 water meters across the city to remote reading by 2028. Until last year, the city had installed remote reading terminals on about 55.9% (51,730 units) of the total 92,555 water meters (excluding apartment complexes). This year, with a budget of 840 million KRW, 10,500 units will be installed in new and aging meter replacement areas, and approximately 10,000 units will be sequentially installed each year until 2028.

Previously, during water meter readings, meter readers had to visit sites in cold weather or remote locations to manually check the meters. Residents also experienced inconvenience as they had to cooperate every month during the meter reading period, especially when meters were indoors or secured with locks. The remote reading system enables wireless automatic readings via remote communication terminals regardless of season, location, or time, allowing for quick and accurate billing without the need for meter reader visits, thus protecting privacy.

Remote reading is conducted in connection with the Smart Metering System within the Smart Water Integrated Control Center. The Smart Metering System applies digital wireless communication technology to water meters to monitor water usage in real-time and was completed in 2021.

Notably, the newly applied Smart Metering System improves management functions such as △registration/removal △fieldwork (new/replace/decommission) △work orders, enabling more efficient management.

Smart Metering Workflow. Provided by Goyang Special City

The remote reading terminal receives water meter reading data from the consumer’s digital meter once every six hours daily and transmits it wirelessly to the Smart Metering System server. When reading data remotely transmitted from each consumer’s terminal is received, the Smart Metering System analyzes the consumer’s hourly water usage.

Remote reading allows for early detection and prediction of issues such as leaks, enabling more accurate and faster responses. Additionally, based on data transmitted to the Smart Metering System, past water meter reading histories can be reviewed, and monthly comparative statistical data can be checked.

The city is also trial-operating an SMS notification service for large-diameter water consumers who apply, allowing them to receive meter readings at desired times on their smartphones. After a stabilization period, this service will be gradually expanded.

Although a cold wave warning was issued across Gyeonggi Province on the 8th, there has been only one case of water meter freezing in Goyang City since last winter. Over the past four years, the number of water meter freeze cases during winter has sharply decreased from 368 cases in 2020 to 75 in 2021, 4 in 2023, and 1 in 2024.

Goyang City Smart Metering Control Room. Provided by Goyang Special City

Goyang City is establishing a 24-hour response system by mid-March and is implementing measures to prevent water meter freezing caused by winter cold waves. Before the onset of the severe cold, the city conducted preliminary surveys and inspections of vulnerable areas at the end of last year and replaced about 1,800 insulation materials and 1,000 digital meters in locations where insulation was missing or damaged.

The comprehensive situation room is operating a 24-hour emergency duty system according to the level 4 cold wave crisis alert to prepare for water meter freeze incidents. When reports of leaks or frozen water meters are received, the on-site response team promptly dispatches to urgently repair leaks and replace meters free of charge.

A city official stated, “In anticipation of greater climate variability this winter compared to average years, we have established a 24-hour operation system to quickly respond to reports and replace damaged meters in case of freezing incidents. We ask citizens to report immediately if their water meters freeze, as the city will replace frozen meters free of charge.”

Remote terminal installation site. Provided by Goyang Special City

Mayor Lee Dong-hwan of Goyang Special City said, “We plan to enhance the smart meter system monitoring to build a precise water billing information system and resolve leakage inconveniences, thereby improving water supply management efficiency. We will do our best to ensure stable water supply even in winter by operating a 24-hour situation room to prevent water meter freezing.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.