Every drop measured. Every shilling collected.
Talkcoms smart ultrasonic water meters measure water with sound instead of moving parts, send their readings automatically, and connect to a complete billing, payments and customer app platform. Prepaid or postpaid, for apartments, estates, water service providers and boreholes.
- OIML R49 certified
- No moving parts
- Remote reading
- Leak alerts
- M-Pesa ready
Smart Water Meters
Measured by sound, not spinning parts
A traditional water meter measures flow with a small impeller that spins as water passes through it. Over the years, sand, rust and scale slow that impeller down. The meter quietly starts to under-read, and every litre it misses is water you supplied but never billed.
A smart ultrasonic meter works differently. Inside the meter, two sensors send high-frequency sound pulses through the water, one with the flow and one against it. Water moving with the pulse carries it slightly faster; water moving against it slows it down. The meter measures that tiny difference in time and calculates exactly how much water has passed. There is nothing in the water path to turn, wear out or jam.
The “smart” part is the built-in communication module. Instead of waiting for someone to visit with a notebook, the meter sends its readings over the mobile network to the Talkcoms platform. You see consumption, alarms and customer balances from your office or your phone, and your customers see their own usage in the Talkcoms customer app.
Built to stay accurate. Built to get you paid.
Switching to smart ultrasonic metering is not just a hardware upgrade. It changes how you collect revenue, how quickly you find leaks and how much your customers trust their bills.
No moving parts
Nothing inside the meter wears out or slows down, so it measures as accurately in year five as it did on the day it was installed.
Catches every litre
Ultrasonic meters record very low flows, such as dripping taps and slow leaks, that mechanical meters often miss. That water is now billed instead of lost.
No more meter reading rounds
Readings arrive automatically. No staff walking door to door, no locked gates, no estimated bills and no arguments over handwritten figures.
Leak and tamper alerts
The meter flags unusual conditions such as continuous flow, reverse flow and tampering, and the platform alerts you so you can act the same day.
Handles tough water
With an open measuring tube, sand and debris pass straight through. Ideal for borehole supply, intermittent supply and older networks.
Built for the field
A sealed, weather-resistant body designed for meter chambers, outdoor installation and Kenyan conditions, with a long-life battery that needs no routine maintenance.
Prepaid valve option
Prepaid models include a built-in valve that closes when credit runs out and reopens automatically as soon as the customer tops up.
Data you can act on
Hourly and daily consumption patterns show you who is using what, when, and where water is going missing.
| Feature | Traditional mechanical meter | Talkcoms smart ultrasonic meter |
|---|---|---|
| Moving parts | Yes, wear out over time | None |
| Accuracy over time | Drops as the meter ages | Stays stable |
| Low-flow measurement | Often missed | Recorded |
| Meter reading | Manual site visit | Automatic and remote |
| Leak detection | Only when someone notices | Alerts sent to you |
| Prepaid option | Not available | Built-in valve control |
| Billing | Typed in by hand | Generated automatically |
Moving parts
- Traditional mechanical meter
- Yes, wear out over time
- Talkcoms smart ultrasonic meter
- None
Accuracy over time
- Traditional mechanical meter
- Drops as the meter ages
- Talkcoms smart ultrasonic meter
- Stays stable
Low-flow measurement
- Traditional mechanical meter
- Often missed
- Talkcoms smart ultrasonic meter
- Recorded
Meter reading
- Traditional mechanical meter
- Manual site visit
- Talkcoms smart ultrasonic meter
- Automatic and remote
Leak detection
- Traditional mechanical meter
- Only when someone notices
- Talkcoms smart ultrasonic meter
- Alerts sent to you
Prepaid option
- Traditional mechanical meter
- Not available
- Talkcoms smart ultrasonic meter
- Built-in valve control
Billing
- Traditional mechanical meter
- Typed in by hand
- Talkcoms smart ultrasonic meter
- Generated automatically
Certified to the international standard
Talkcoms smart ultrasonic meters are certified to OIML R49, the international standard for water meters published by the International Organization of Legal Metrology. Utilities and regulators around the world use OIML R49 to decide whether a meter can be trusted for billing.
To pass, a meter is tested for accuracy across its full range of flows, from a slow trickle to peak demand. It is also tested for durability, pressure, temperature and resistance to interference. The result is a meter whose readings stand up to scrutiny, from a tenant questioning a bill to an auditor reviewing your accounts.
Combined with the Talkcoms platform, you get accurate, auditable data for non-revenue water tracking, board reporting and WASREB performance reporting.
OIML R49 certified
From a single flat to a bulk supply line
Whatever the pipe size, every meter connects to the same platform and the same app. Choose the size that fits the connection.
| Size | Pipe size | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| DN15 | ½ inch | Apartments and single households |
| DN20 | ¾ inch | Houses and small shops |
| DN25 | 1 inch | Larger homes and small commercial premises |
| DN32 to DN40 | 1¼ to 1½ inch | Commercial buildings, schools, hospitals |
| DN50 to DN80 | 2 to 3 inch | Bulk meters for blocks, estates and boreholes |
| DN100 to DN150 | 4 to 6 inch | Estate inlets and network zones |
| DN200 and above | 8 inch and above | Water service provider mains and production points |
DN15
- Pipe size
- ½ inch
- Typical use
- Apartments and single households
DN20
- Pipe size
- ¾ inch
- Typical use
- Houses and small shops
DN25
- Pipe size
- 1 inch
- Typical use
- Larger homes and small commercial premises
DN32 to DN40
- Pipe size
- 1¼ to 1½ inch
- Typical use
- Commercial buildings, schools, hospitals
DN50 to DN80
- Pipe size
- 2 to 3 inch
- Typical use
- Bulk meters for blocks, estates and boreholes
DN100 to DN150
- Pipe size
- 4 to 6 inch
- Typical use
- Estate inlets and network zones
DN200 and above
- Pipe size
- 8 inch and above
- Typical use
- Water service provider mains and production points
Not sure which size you need? Send us your pipe size and expected daily use, and our team will recommend the right meter. Full datasheets are available on request.
Pay before or pay after. You choose.
Every Talkcoms meter runs on the same platform, so you can mix prepaid and postpaid meters in one property and switch an account from one to the other as your needs change.
Prepaid
Customers buy water in advance through M-Pesa, just like buying airtime. The credit goes straight to their meter. When the balance runs out, the valve closes automatically, and it reopens the moment they top up. No arrears, no disconnection visits, no chasing payments.
- Best for
- Rental units, high-turnover tenants and accounts with a history of arrears.
Postpaid
Customers receive an accurate monthly bill based on real readings, not estimates, and pay by M-Pesa. Automatic SMS reminders follow up on unpaid bills.
- Best for
- Owner-occupied homes, commercial accounts and bulk meters.
One system, built for every kind of water business
Apartments and rental blocks
- The challenge
- One bulk water bill from the utility, dozens of tenants, and an endless argument about who used what.
- How Talkcoms helps
- Install a meter in every unit and a bulk meter at the inlet. Each tenant pays only for what they use, prepaid or postpaid. Compare the bulk reading against the total of all units to spot leaks and illegal connections immediately.
Estates and gated communities
- The challenge
- Shared water infrastructure, a management company absorbing the losses, and hours of manual billing every month.
- How Talkcoms helps
- Meter every household and every zone. Billing runs itself, residents pay by M-Pesa, and the dashboard shows exactly where water is disappearing between the main inlet and the homes.
Water service providers
- The challenge
- High non-revenue water, slow meter reading cycles, estimated bills and growing pressure to report performance to WASREB.
- How Talkcoms helps
- Automatic readings from every customer meter, zone monitoring to pinpoint losses, integrated billing and payments, and the reports regulators ask for. Start with a pilot zone and scale across your network.
Boreholes and private water suppliers
- The challenge
- You sell water, but you do not know exactly how much you pump, how much you sell and how much you lose along the way.
- How Talkcoms helps
- A production meter at the borehole, a customer meter on every connection, and prepaid sales so you are paid before the water leaves the tank. Keep accurate abstraction records for your water permit.
The meter is only half the story
A smart meter is only as useful as the software behind it. Every Talkcoms meter connects to one platform that handles billing, payments, customers and reporting, so you run your whole water business from one place.
Billing system
Readings flow straight into billing. Set your own tariffs, including block tariffs, fixed charges and sewer levies. Bills and receipts are generated automatically, with no estimates and no manual entry.
M-Pesa payments
Customers pay bills and buy prepaid credit through M-Pesa. Every payment is matched to the right account automatically, so your books are always up to date.
Customer app
Your customers get their own app to check daily usage, view their balance, top up, download bills and receive leak alerts. Fewer calls to your office, and more trust in every bill.
Management dashboard
See every meter, customer and shilling in one place. Track consumption, collections, arrears and water losses, and get alerts for leaks, tampering and meters that stop reporting.
Field app
For any meters that still need a visit, your field staff capture readings with a photo and GPS location, even without network coverage.
Maps and zones
View all your meters on a map and group them into zones to find exactly where water is being lost.
Reports
Export the reports your board, auditors and regulators need, including WASREB-aligned performance indicators.
Secure by design
Each client's data is kept separate, staff access is controlled by role, logins are protected with two-factor authentication, and every change is recorded.
From pipe to payment, automatically
- 1
Measure.
The ultrasonic meter records every litre, around the clock.
- 2
Send.
Readings travel over the mobile network to the Talkcoms platform. No site visits needed.
- 3
Bill and pay.
The platform applies your tariff and bills the customer. Customers pay or top up by M-Pesa, and prepaid credit goes straight back to the meter.
- 4
See everything.
You track usage, collections and leaks on the dashboard, while customers see their own usage and balance in the app.
Getting started
- Tell us about your site
- We recommend the right meters
- Your installer fits them
- We set up your tariffs and train your team
- You go live
Common questions
How accurate are ultrasonic meters?
Talkcoms meters are certified to OIML R49 and keep their accuracy over time because there are no moving parts to wear. They also record low flows that mechanical meters often miss.
How do the meters send their readings?
Each meter has a built-in communication module that sends readings automatically over the mobile network to the Talkcoms platform.
What happens if the network goes down?
The meter keeps measuring and storing readings, and sends them as soon as the connection returns. No data is lost.
Can I mix prepaid and postpaid meters in one property?
Yes. Each meter is set up individually, and both types appear in the same dashboard.
Do you install the meters?
Talkcoms supplies the meters and sets up the platform, tariffs and staff training. Installation is done by your plumber or one of our partner installers.
Can I use my existing meters?
In many cases, yes. Tell us which meters you already have and we will advise what can be connected.
How do customers top up a prepaid meter?
Through M-Pesa or the Talkcoms customer app. The credit is sent to the meter automatically.
Is my data secure?
Yes. Your data is kept separate from other clients, access is controlled by role, logins use two-factor authentication, and every change is logged.
Ready to stop losing water and revenue?
Tell us about your property or network. We will recommend the right meters, show you the platform live and send you a clear quote.
Free platform setup for projects under 100 meters.