Water Authority – Cayman has announced it will launch an Advanced Metering Infrastructure pilot project in February 2026, installing approximately 200 smart meters in selected areas of eastern George Town and North Sound Estates.
The eight-month pilot will test two different smart metering systems and two communication methods to determine which performs best under Cayman’s unique environmental conditions.
Many areas in the Cayman Islands are low lying, and the meters will be tested to make sure they can operate consistently and reliably in areas prone to flooding and neighbourhoods where vegetation or buildings may interfere with signals.
While bills during the pilot will continue to be calculated based on meter readings as normal, the technology itself represents a shift in how water use is monitored.
“Smart meters measure water more precisely, maintaining stable accuracy through the service life, unlike mechanical meters, which can wear over time and slightly under-record usage,” explained Edlyn Ruiz-Stoll, corporate communications supervisor at the Water Authority.
“This means a bill amount might increase slightly if usage remains the same due to improved meter accuracy. There is potential for savings due to the near real time readings, which facilitate early leak detection.”
That last point may resonate most strongly with homeowners.
In a heavy storm, a fallen tree can crack a pipe. Irrigation lines can rupture unnoticed. A slow underground leak can run for weeks before it appears on a monthly bill. By then, the damage, and its associated cost, is done.
With AMI technology, water usage data can be transmitted automatically, allowing for quicker identification of unusual spikes that may signal a leak. The authority says future benefits could include on-demand usage insights and faster response times.
The authority said they are testing systems from vendors Sensus, Aquana and Kamstrup – all of which are used in other markets – but there is currently no set timeline for a full island-wide rollout. “The pilot project will run for approximately eight months,” Ruiz-Stoll said. “The Authority does not have a specific timeline for when such a decision would be made.”
Water Authority Director Gelia Frederick van-Genderen described the investment as a step toward modernising the authority’s operations and improving customer service.
For now, 200 households will quietly become part of that experiment.
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