LocationsOne thousand water meters with remote readings have been installed in Ungheni municipality, with the support of the European Union and UNDP
August 17, 2023
One of the 18 apartment blocks in Ungheni municipality, where water meters, equipped with remote data transmission modules, have been installed.
One thousand smart water meters, equipped with remote data transmission modules, have been installed in 18 apartment blocks in Ungheni municipality. This contributes to more efficient management of water resources and eliminates the need to visit consumers' homes.
The meters were purchased using funds from the “EU4Moldova: Focal Regions” programme implemented by UNDP and UNICEF. The cost of the devices amounts to approximately €80,000.
“I am very pleased with the new water meters installed in my apartment. The data is collected remotely, it’s very convenient, nobody bothers me,”says Galina Voinu, an older woman from Ungheni municipality.
The data from the meters is sent to the “Apă-Canal Ungheni” database. The operator can see in real-time whether there are any technical issues and can act promptly.
“We believe that the installation of water meters with remote meter reading will enhance the capacity to maintain water infrastructure managed by the company,” says Petru Scutaru, manager of the “Apă-Canal Ungheni” municipal enterprise.
Smart meters bring several benefits, explains Scutaru, “the advantages include enhanced comfort and safety for both consumers and the enterprise, as the data is collected remotely; detection of possible leaks of the indoor water supply system, as well as warnings on unauthorised interventions and incorrect installation—unsealing or installing the meter counter to the water flow.”
Local public authorities and “Apă-Canal Ungheni” intend to install smart meters in all apartment blocks in Ungheni, as well as in the local educational institutions.
Currently, 96% of the households in Ungheni municipality have access to water supply systems and 56% to sewage systems.
New sewage systems were built for eight streets in the centre and the Berești-Vasilica neighbourhood of the municipality under the “EU4Moldova: Focal Regions” programme.
A new water pipe, over 1,600 meters in length, was also built (on Națională Street, between Vasile Lupu and Solidarităţii Streets) and supplies water to more than 24.000 people. The total value of the investments for these works exceeds €470,000, an amount that also includes the local financial contribution.
At the same time, with the support of the EU and UNDP, a new water tank with a capacity of 1000m3 was built, an investment worth more than €245,000, which supplies drinking water to consumers from the municipality and the villages of Zagarancea and Semeni. It also offers the possibility for at least 28 rural localities to connect to the public drinking water supply system.
