Do you have telemetry network coverage?
Telemetry requires adequate network coverage. Use the department’s Mobile Coverage Tool to check whether your meter site has telemetry coverage or is located in a blackspot.
If your meter site is in a blackspot, you may be eligible for a telemetry exemption.
Applying for a telemetry exemption
If your work is required to have telemetry but there is no network coverage, you may be eligible for a telemetry exemption.
A telemetry exemption:
- applies only to works that cannot meet telemetry requirements due to lack of coverage
- removes the requirement to install a Local Intelligence Device (LID)
- still requires you to manually record and report your water use
- applies to one work per application (submit a separate form for each work)
- requires you to submit a telemetry exemption notification form and confirm that your site is located in a telemetry blackspot
- For more information, you can download the full Telemetry Exemption Instrument.
Apply in 3 steps
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Step 1 — Generate a telemetry coverage report
You’ll need:
- Work approval owner’s name
- Work approval number
- ESID (extraction site ID) - found on your work approval or by calling WaterNSW on 1300 662 077
- Your meter location (latitude/longitude to six decimal places) - you can get this from Google Maps or a smartphone
Telemetry coverage report – service temporarily unavailable
We are currently experiencing a technical issue that is preventing coverage reports from being generated. Our team is working to restore the service as soon as possible. We apologise for any inconvenience.
In the meantime, please submit your telemetry exemption notification form and ensure the meter site latitude and longitude coordinates are included. We will manually assess coverage using an alternative method.
For enquiries, please contact metering@dcceew.nsw.gov.au
The telemetry coverage report analyses the three nearest Telstra towers that support 4G NB-IoT or LTE Cat M1 networks for your meter location. Please note that these networks operate differently from standard mobile phone services.
The report identifies the location of each tower, along with its height and distance from the meter site. It also includes a line-of-sight assessment, showing each tower's connectivity to the site as a Yes or No.
If at least one tower returns a Yes result, the site is considered to have telemetry connectivity. To qualify for a telemetry exemption, all three towers must return a No result.
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Step 2 – Complete the exemption notification form
If the report shows that your work is in a blackspot, download and complete the telemetry exemption notification form.
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Step 3 – Submit your exemption request
Email the completed notification form together with your telemetry coverage report to: metering@dcceew.nsw.gov.au
Use the subject line: Telemetry exemption notification
If your site is in a blackspot but the report shows coverage, ask your DQP to do an onsite telemetry test using a signal measuring device or a compliant Local Intelligence Device (LID). If the test shows no coverage, submit the exemption form along with the test results.
Use the subject line: Telemetry exemption request – coverage shown but no connectivity