Remote reading reaches 38% of Spain’s 22 million water meters

Remote reading doubles its share

Spain’s rollout of smart water meters has moved beyond pilot projects and into large-scale deployment. According to the XVIII DAQUAS Study, presented in December 2025 with data for 2024, the country had about 22 million drinking-water meters. Digital remote reading was available on 38% of them, twice the 19% penetration reported for 2020.

The change is also visible in how utilities collect billing data. Remote systems accounted for 43% of commercial readings, up from 14% several years earlier. They have now overtaken readings made with handheld terminals, previously the most common method in large municipalities. Automatic, more frequently updated information can reduce field visits, identify unusual consumption sooner and give operators a clearer view of network performance.

Deployment remains uneven. EMASESA, which serves the Seville metropolitan area, reported remote-reading penetration of 73.6% in April 2025. Canal de Isabel II passed 1 million smart meters in December 2025, representing 62.5% of its approximately 1.6 million supply points in the Madrid region. The company aims to provide full coverage by the end of 2026, while the national average remains 38%.

Public funding supports procurement

Government support has helped utilities finance meters, communications infrastructure and digital data platforms. Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge allocated €750 million in direct aid through the Strategic Project for the Digitalisation of the Water Cycle between 2022 and 2024.

• €550 million was assigned to the urban water cycle.
• €200 million was directed to the irrigation sector.
• The funding was distributed through five calls for applications.

The programme has widened the commercial pipeline for meter manufacturers, connectivity providers, software developers and systems integrators. The gap between the 38% national penetration rate and the higher coverage achieved by leading utilities also indicates substantial remaining replacement and installation work. The pace will depend not only on funding but on procurement schedules, installation capacity and utilities’ ability to connect new devices to existing systems.

Multiple communications technologies compete

Spanish utilities are using several connectivity standards. Terranova, writing in iAgua, identifies NB-IoT as the dominant technology in major urban contracts, while LoRaWAN retains a significant presence and LTE-M is used in some advanced deployments. Recent tenders increasingly require multiprotocol compatibility, allowing operators to use more than one communications technology and reduce dependence on a single meter brand or network.

This requirement affects both equipment suppliers and software vendors. Utilities may operate fleets containing different meter generations, brands and protocols for years. Platforms capable of consolidating those data streams can therefore become as important as the meters themselves. Suppliers must compete on battery life, communications reliability, interoperability and the ability to support installations at scale.

Data integration becomes the next test

Installing a connected meter does not by itself deliver the full operational benefit. Utilities must integrate readings with billing, maintenance, customer service and network-management systems. They also need analytical tools and procedures that turn consumption information into alerts and operational decisions.

For operators, the next phase is therefore both a hardware programme and a process change. For suppliers, the opportunity extends from meter replacement to connectivity, data management and analytics. Spain’s leading projects show that national-scale deployment is technically achievable, but the difference between the 38% national average and the coverage recorded in Seville and Madrid demonstrates that adoption will continue at different speeds across the country.