I’ve always been passionate about automating my home, and after successfully setting up systems to monitor electricity and heating consumption, I decided to tackle water usage. For years, my water meter remained analog, making it difficult to track consumption digitally. That changed when I developed a self-made solution utilizing an ESP32-CAM and image processing. The system works by regularly capturing images of the water meter, which are then processed to extract the counter value. This data is sent to a simple HTTP server and can be integrated into any database for further analysis. I’ve open-sourced the project, including hardware designs, software, and a WYSIWYG setup tool, to make it accessible to everyone. Here’s how it works: - Hardware: A camera with ESP8226 controller captures images of the water meter. - Software: Custom image processing algorithms extract the counter value. - Server: A Docker image hosts the processed data, making it available for integration into home automation systems. I’ve shared all the resources on GitHub and Thingiverse, including 3D-printable parts and electrical configurations. The project is still in beta, so I’d love to hear your feedback and suggestions for improvement. This system not only helps me monitor water usage but also contributes to a more sustainable lifestyle by identifying inefficiencies. If you’re interested in similar projects or have questions about the setup, feel free to reach out! Let’s continue to innovate and share our solutions to make home automation more accessible and efficient for everyone. 