Rail company installs water meters to reduce waste

Southeastern said that the move was to deliver on its commitment to improve sustainability

A railway company has installed more than 150 automatic water meter readers at depots and stations in an attempt to minimise waste.

Southeastern said that the move was to deliver on its commitment to improve sustainability.

The new technology now covers 90% of the more than 180 stations and depots across Kent, Sussex, and South East London run by Southeastern.

It works by sending real-time data to a central hub, which then logged, allowing leaks and unusual usage to be quickly detected and repairs arranged.

The new system has already helped Southeastern identify and fix leaks at multiple sites, including Tonbridge Sidings, Otford, Higham and Slade Green.

The company said that at the Slade Green depot an automatic alarm enabled the repair of a hidden leak that could have otherwise taken "weeks" to locate.

The data allows Southeastern's sustainability team to distinguish the difference between genuine leaks and short-term consumption spikes caused by cleaning activities or drain unblocking.

It added that the system can even detect the impact of faulty toilets and uncontrolled flushing, providing more accurate information than ever before.

Peter Stapleton, Head of Facilities at Southeastern, said: "By rolling out automated metering, we can become far more accurate in the way we monitor and consume water.

"This programme marks an important milestone as we continue our journey to reduce waste and protect the environment we all share."