Affinity Water detects leaks in the UK with fiber optics
Key Highlights
- Affinity Water implemented a fiber optics trial to detect water pipe leaks in the UK.
- The trail saved 2 megaliters (ML) of water.
Affinity Water has implemented a technology trial using a fiber optics to detect leaks in surrounding water pipes in the UK. The trail saved 2 megaliters (ML) of water.
The program uses Openreach’s fiber network and Lightsonic’s distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) technology to convert Openreach’s fiber optic cables into thousands of sensors which can hear and pinpoint leaks from surrounding water pipes.
The fiber optic leak detection platform is currently being piloted in five locations to monitor 650 km of Affinity’s Water’s network. The system recognizes the unique acoustic signature of a potential leak and highlights an area to investigate, often to within a few meters to direct repair teams to the right spot.
In its first locations, and in just 3 months, the fiber sensing technology was able to locate more than 100 leaks, saving 2 million liters of water a day.
England and Wales lose about 3 billion liters of treated water daily through leaks, which is equivalent to the daily water use of more than 20 million people or a fifth of the country’s water supply. Affinity Water has joined others in the UK’s water industry to commit to halving leakage levels by 2050.