The Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) will begin installing 1,000 smart meters across the country as part of a major modernization effort to improve accuracy, reduce losses and strengthen water management, Cabinet spokesman Maurice Merchant said during Friday’s post-Cabinet briefing.
Merchant said the devices will help curb meter tampering, provide precise consumption readings and support APUA’s wider shift toward digital monitoring of the water network.
“These advanced devices will help curtail meter tampering, ensure accurate consumption readings, and support the authority’s broader modernization and digitization initiatives,” he said .
The smart meter rollout comes as APUA reports record water production levels. Merchant said APUA reached 9.2 million gallons per day this week and expects to hit 10.6 million gallons per day next week, the highest output ever recorded in Antigua and Barbuda.
He said consumers should begin to see longer supply windows, though aging pipes and underground leaks mean the system will still require upgrades .
To reduce water loss, Merchant said APUA will also introduce a new fault-management system capable of detecting leaks across the distribution network in real time.
The technology, he said, will allow crews to respond more quickly to disruptions and “minimize water loss while enhancing service delivery to households and businesses” .
APUA also updated the Cabinet on dredging work at Crabbs to support the transition to a new LNG power system. Merchant said roughly 80,000 cubic meters of material remain and the final phase is expected to be finished within three to four months, paving the way for the plant’s operation .
