Based in Germany, Hydrometer manufactures about two million water and heat meters a year, including single and multi-jet meters and bulk and domestic water meters.

It also supplies reading software, M-Bus systems, radio systems and additional electronic devices. Hydrometer is accredited as a calibration laboratory, including calibration of volumes of flowing liquids.

Company spokesman Roland Hofmann says technology is available to allow information from meters to be collected from a moving vehicle, such as a garbage truck equipped with an aerial, and sent direct to an FTP server on the Internet.

“In order to save water, meters when fitted with radio are automatically equipped with a leakage alarm feature that can compare current usage with previous months and enable the customer to be alerted to unusual consumption patterns,” Hofmann says.

“This technology can play a role in changing consumer behavior and reducing water use.”