IoT Water Management — HydroSmart Utilities
Visual: pressure maps, leak probability heatmaps, and field-inspector app.
Client Overview
HydroSmart Utilities provides smart water distribution solutions across municipal utilities in Southeast Asia. Their platform focuses on reducing non-revenue water (NRW), detecting leaks early, and optimizing pressure to extend network life and reduce bursts.
Challenge
High NRW rates due to hidden leaks and inefficient pressure management were causing water losses and increased treatment costs. Utilities needed precise localization of leaks, automated pressure set-point adjustments, and tools to prioritize repair actions to maximize savings with limited crews.
Solution — Leak Detection & Pressure Optimization
We implemented a hybrid solution combining acoustic sensors, pressure monitoring, hydraulic models, and ML-based leak inference. The platform produced leak probability maps, optimal pressure setpoints for zones, and prioritized repair tickets fed to field crews with GPS coordinates.
Core components
Approach
- Calibrate hydraulic model using existing SCADA and occasional zone-pressure tests.
- Deploy acoustic sensors in high-risk zones and collect baseline signatures.
- Run leak inference and validate with targeted field verifications.
- Deploy pressure optimization routines and monitor burst-rate changes.
Technology stack
Implementation — Rollout
Phase 1 — Model Calibration & Pilot Sensors (Weeks 1–8)
Calibrate hydraulic model for target zones, install pilot sensors and gather acoustic baselines.
Phase 2 — Leak Inference & Field Validation (Weeks 9–16)
Run algorithms to surface high-probability leaks and validate with targeted digs/inspections.
Phase 3 — Pressure Optimization & Prioritization (Weeks 17–24)
Implement pressure setpoint adjustments during low-use windows and roll out ticket prioritization logic.
Phase 4 — City-wide Scale (Weeks 25–36)
Expand sensor network and integrate with utility workforce management for sustained NRW reductions.
Impact & Results
32%
Reduction in NRW in pilot zones
45%
Fewer burst incidents after pressure optimization
50%
Improvement in leak localization speed (field verification)
9 months
Time to pilot ROI
Qualitative outcomes
- Targeted repairs produced measurable water savings and reduced treatment costs.
- Pressure management extended asset life and lowered burst risks.
- Field crews used GPS-guided repair tickets that reduced wasted travel time.
Client Testimonial
Key Highlights & Learnings
- Hydraulic modeling plus acoustic sensing yields the best signal-to-noise for hidden leaks.
- Prioritization based on expected water recovery per repair maximizes ROI for limited crews.
- Edge preprocessing reduces bandwidth and supports near-real-time alerts in constrained networks.