Liberty Lake-based Itron Inc. has signed a contract with the Tonga Water Board, the Kingdom of Tonga’s government-owned water utility, to deliver its OpenWay Riva IoT product for water. 

Located in the South Pacific just over 3,000 miles east of Australia, the Kingdom of Tonga is made up of more than 170 islands, which are home to more than 100,000 people.

A recent Itron press release says the company is working with Tonga to help unify its electricity and water management within a single network in an effort to better manage island resources. 

According to the release, the Tonga Water Board will take advantage of the existing OpenWay Riva network used by Tonga Power Limited (TPL) on Tonga’s main island of Tongatapu, to connect with OpenWay Riva-enabled static water meters. 

The Tonga Water Board will use that network, along with new smart water meters, to reduce water losses associated with leaks, to capture lost revenue due to nonpayment, and to improve customer service. In collaboration with TPL, the utility also will use Itron managed services for network management and maintenance for water operations.

Itron claims that collection and analysis of more detailed data over the OpenWay Riva network will enable the Tonga Water Board to measure water consumption more accurately and detect leaks faster, and will empower its customers to monitor their consumption on a continuous basis. 

In the release, Paul Nelson, Itron’s vice president for electricity in the Asia-Pacific, says the project is a collaborative effort that will serve to demonstrate the power of Itron’s OpenWay Riva IoT products across both energy and water. 

 “Through a comprehensive resource management program that addresses challenges in energy, water, and smart communities, Tonga is showing that it is both smart and connected,” Nelson contends. 

Dominique Lerouge, Itron’s vice president for water and heat in the Asia-Pacific, says the company is excited to be part of the project, which will “demonstrate how technology can help utilities better manage water and electricity resources and create a more resourceful world.”

Itron describes itself as a technology and services company dedicated to the resourceful use of energy and water, with thousands of employees who support a network of 8,000 customers in over 100 countries. The company offers a wide variety of products, including electricity, gas, water and thermal energy measurement devices and control technology; communications systems; and software, as well as managed and consulting services.