The Story

Scottish Water’s Dundee Smart Water Monitoring Trial is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at transforming how households in Scotland understand and manage their water consumption. This three-year pilot project - the first of its kind in Scotland - seeks to explore whether providing real-time water usage data to households can encourage more sustainable water use, reduce waste, and lower energy bills.

Scotland is known for its abundant water resources, yet the impact of climate change, population growth, and housing expansion means that water supply sustainability cannot be taken for granted. Domestic water consumption accounts for the largest proportion of demand - approximately 1,000 million litres per day, with the average Scottish household using 180 litres per person per day, significantly higher than in England and Wales. However, many people are unaware of how much water they use or the benefits of conservation.

To address this, Scottish Water launched this innovative smart monitor trial in northwest Dundee, selecting an area with a diverse mix of housing types and demographics. This ensures a representative sample that can guide future water-saving strategy across Scotland.

Scottish Water is installing around 2,300 smart water monitors in homes across northwest Dundee. These monitors will:

• Monitor household water usage daily
• Provide information via a web-based platform and app
• Help identify leaks and inefficiencies, such as continuous water flow from leaking pipes or overflowing toilets
• Encourage small but impactful behavior changes, like shorter showers, full washing machine loads, and only boiling the necessary amount of water

Scottish Water will also test different levels of customer engagement, from light-touch interventions to more personalised advice, to determine what best influences long-term behaviour change.

By making household water use visible, understandable, and actionable, this initiative empowers individuals to take control of their consumption. Reducing unnecessary water use benefits households (lower energy bills), the environment (less water abstraction), and the wider community by ensuring long-term water security.

Ultimately, the Dundee trial will help shape Scotland’s future water strategy and set a new standard for sustainable water management in Scotland.