Smart Meter Pilots Point to a Data-Driven Future for Water Utilities

EU-backed trials show smart water meters can cut leaks and costs if utilities invest in data skills and systems

30 Jan 2026

Europe’s water networks are old, leaky and under strain. Yet their operators are in no rush to be dazzled by technology. Instead they are experimenting, cautiously, with smart water meters, hoping that better data might quietly improve how pipes are managed.

One sign of this approach is SMART.MET, a research project backed by EU innovation funds. Rather than chasing rapid roll-out, it placed about 3,000 prototype meters in varied real-world settings. The aim was modest but practical: to see how devices perform outside the lab, and what happens to data once it enters daily operations.

The findings are unsurprising, but still useful. Automated readings reduce guesswork. Unusual patterns can point to leaks, theft or failing equipment. When utilities trust such signals, they can act earlier, cut water losses and plan maintenance with more care. Information, in short, sharpens judgement.

SMART.MET also compared different meter designs, testing their accuracy, durability and reliability. This reflects a broader habit in the sector. Utilities prefer pilots and field trials before committing to large digital systems. Many fear being locked into costly platforms that work well on paper but falter underground.

Looking beyond individual projects, a longer trend is emerging. Analysts expect Europe’s smart water meter market to grow steadily into the 2030s. Ageing infrastructure, climate stress and tighter regulation all push operators to extract more value from existing assets. Yet most studies add a caveat: technology pays only when paired with strong analytics and new ways of working.

That helps explain a shift in emphasis. The debate is moving from hardware to data. Utilities now worry less about the meter itself than about platforms, governance and skills. Digital devices are increasingly seen as a base for network modelling, predictive maintenance and long-term planning, rather than as ends in themselves.

The barriers are familiar. Many utilities linger in pilot mode, constrained by legacy IT systems, swelling data volumes and rising cybersecurity risks. Turning streams of numbers into insight often demands cultural change as much as new software.

Even so, the direction is clear. As evidence from trials accumulates, smart meters are edging from novelty to norm. Europe’s water sector may be slow to digitise, but it is learning, carefully, how data can help keep the taps running.