Smart water meter

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SS789

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#316022 9-Sep-2024 09:13

I have a smart water meter in Auckland and I'm wanting to capture it's signal to process the data at home.

The the smart meter is using the LwM2M protocol. More on this here - https://www.edmi-meters.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/WP20-Factsheet-English.pdf

After doing some research on the NB-IoT, found this - https://docs.srsran.com/projects/4g/en/rfsoc/app_notes/source/nbiot/source/index.html

Which led to this - https://www.rtl-sdr.com/about-rtl-sdr/ then this https://www.rtl-sdr.com/buy-rtl-sdr-dvb-t-dongles/ then this dongle on AliExpress, also on TradeMe

https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/32936334224.html?gps-id=pcStoreLeaderboard&scm=1007.22922.271278.0&scm_id=1007.22922.271278.0&scm-url=1007.22922.271278.0&pvid=eadeab1c-c7ae-49cd-a707-8f91d984cb3b&_t=gps-id%3ApcStoreLeaderboard%2Cscm-url%3A1007.22922.271278.0%2Cpvid%3Aeadeab1c-c7ae-49cd-a707-8f91d984cb3b%2Ctpp_buckets%3A668%232846%238116%232002&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21NZD%2173.52%2173.52%21%21%2144.83%2144.83%21%402103080517258296388421778e8441%2166232024592%21rec%21NZ%216109263274%21X&spm=a2g0o.store_pc_home.smartLeaderboard_828478961.32936334224&gatewayAdapt=glo2nld

Has anyone gone down this path to capturing the signal? If so, are these signal encrypted? If yes, would Watercare give the encryption key out?

Trying to see how achievable this is.

Thanks.

IMG_1292 - Copy

petearr

18 posts

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#3280175 9-Sep-2024 09:19

If it doesn't have to be live and 30min granularity is ok, then you could just fetch it from the WaterCare Api.
There is an integration that's doing something similar for HomeAssistant.

https://github.com/brunsy/ha-watercare

MuzaNZ

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#3280189 9-Sep-2024 10:08

These meters communicate back over NB-IoT or CATM1, using the spark cell network

These are an extension of the 4G/LTE stack, so you wont be able to sniff them using an SDR.

neb

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#3280341 9-Sep-2024 13:17

You can also just get a pulse-count water meter put in and read it via anything that can read open/close transitions and pipe them to whatever you're using for monitoring. I'm doing that with a Modbus counter that feeds into HA. For noninvasive attachment you can get ultrasonic sensors but they tend to cost a lot more than inline pulse counters which just have the flow driving an impeller with a magnet attached.

wellygary

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#3280355 9-Sep-2024 14:26

neb:

You can also just get a pulse-count water meter put in and read it via anything that can read open/close transitions and pipe them to whatever you're using for monitoring. I'm doing that with a Modbus counter that feeds into HA. For noninvasive attachment you can get ultrasonic sensors but they tend to cost a lot more than inline pulse counters which just have the flow driving an impeller with a magnet attached.

Although all the piping on your side of the meter/toby is yours, so why not just get a e-meter that outputs data in a form you want and slap it on the incoming main (post the watercare meter) near to your house?

neb

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#3280436 9-Sep-2024 15:33

wellygary: Although all the piping on your side of the meter/toby is yours, so why not just get a e-meter that outputs data in a form you want and slap it on the incoming main (post the watercare meter) near to your house?

Because they're trying to measure water flow, not audit preclears for Scientology :-).

For water metering, pulse count meters cost a tiny fraction of what any kind of smart meter would, and then all you need is an ESP32 or Arduino to connect them up.

SS789

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#3280847 10-Sep-2024 23:44

Thank you everyone. Looks like to get a water meter reading, I'll either have to install a water meter on my side of the water supply and connect to it or use a pulse counter. Not keen to get the plumber in or purchasing a smart meter of my own. Pulse counter would have been perfect but no way for me to get power to where it is. Reading the wireless signal of the existing meter is not possible so that's out. Best option is to install my own a water meter and get readings out of it from within my house. I have a shut off valve in the garage. Won't be cheap, project goes on indefinite hold. Bummer.