CONTAZARA was founded in 1984 in Zaragoza, Spain, with a bold mission: to reinvent water‑metering by replacing purely mechanical meters with fully electronic, digital instruments. [contazara.es]

At a time when nearly all global water meters were mechanical, Contazara set out to challenge the industry’s foundational assumption that a meter’s role was simply to accumulate volume for billing. Their stated aim from inception was to shift metering from basic consumption recording to efficient, data‑driven water management. One of the most important historic milestones attributed to CONTAZARA is that it became the first organization in the world to develop and commercialize a digital water meter—what we now universally call the smart water meter. This was groundbreaking because:

Traditional mechanical meters used moving parts, causing friction, wear, and accuracy loss.

Digital metering enabled precise measurement, longer life, and measurement at low flow rates previously unattainable.

It opened the door to data intelligence, alarms, leakage detection, and consumption analysis. CONTAZARA designs and manufactures:

- digital water meters (domestic, industrial, large‑flow, irrigation), in sizes from 15mm to 40mm.

- thermal energy meters,

- remote‑reading devices,

- management software,

- meter verification and testing systems. The company was acquired by the Arad Group and operates as a subsidiary. Currently the Museum does not have any of these meters in its collection.