Sardinia, Italy faces significant climate-driven water challenges, including rising scarcity and exceptionally high losses from its distribution network. With nearly 53% of water lost to leaks—almost double the global average—local conditions demand advanced solutions to improve network efficiency and reduce non-revenue water (NRW). Abbanoa S.p.A., serving 1.6 million residents, partnered with Itron to enhance measurement accuracy, streamline operations, and deliver a more customer-centric billing system.
THE CHALLENGE
Sardinia is increasingly impacted by climate disruption, harsh summer conditions, and widespread leakage across its water network. Traditional mechanical meters, limited data availability, and delayed leak detection contributed to substantial NRW and hindered effective resource management.
Key issues included:
- High leakage rates across an aging distribution system
- Need for improved consumption visibility and faster leak detection
- Harsh environmental conditions requiring durable meter technology
THE SOLUTION
Abbanoa launched a major metering upgrade by deploying Intelis® wSource™ solid-state smart meters from Itron. This shift builds on years of collaboration, which previously included 400,000 installed Itron mechanical meters, including 40,000 with communication modules.
This data-rich metering approach supports improved network monitoring, revenue assurance, and customer transparency.
RESULTS
The deployment of 180,000 Intelis wSource meters is a central step in Abbanoa’s long-term strategy to reduce water losses and improve service reliability.
Documented and projected benefits include:
- 5% increase in revenue through accuracy gains
- Lower operational costs from automated readings and reduced field visits
- More accurate billing, aligned with actual household consumption
These improvements directly support Sardinia’s urgent water-conservation needs and strengthen Abbanoa’s ability to manage future demand.
– Abbanoa S.p.A.Anticipating a 5% revenue increase from the accuracy gains of the static meter, we aim to streamline operations, reduce costs, and potentially introduce new services like consumption consulting and alarms for end users.
