Telefónica Tech has begun the digital transformation of over 4000 water meters for Spanish water utility Aguas de Cádiz using NB-IoT technology.

The technology enables remote and optimised water consumption management, improving efficiency and sustainability in water use. NB-IoT connectivity ensures continuous data transmission with low energy usage, even from hard-to-reach locations, and guarantees a battery life of at least 12 years.

Telefónica Tech is working with meter manufacturer Contazara (contazara.es) to deploy this system, which will help detect leaks, infrastructure issues or abnormal usage early on. The smart meters also allow for hourly readings, resulting in more accurate billing compared with traditional bi-monthly or quarterly checks.

The rollout will begin with a pilot phase in one neighbourhood, as well as in homeowners’ associations and public services such as park irrigation. After evaluation, it will be progressively extended to the rest of the city of Cádiz.

With this project, Telefónica Tech (telefonicatech.com) says it is reaffirming its commitment to the digital transformation of the water sector, delivering technology that enhances service quality while reducing environmental impact.

This initiative is part of the Watercog-PC project for the digitalisation of the urban water industry, led by Spain’s Ministry for Ecological Transition and funded by the EU’s NextGeneration programme.

Aguas de Cádiz (Aguasdecadiz.es) is a municipal water supply and sanitation company serving the municipality of Cádiz.