SES has become the first UK water company to install smart technology across its entire network to detect leaks as part of its commitment to reduce leakage by 15% in the next three years.
The company has added around 700 sensors to its network that provide near real-time information to SES’ operational teams to allow them to respond to leaks and interruptions far faster.
The system is supported by Vodafone’s narrow band internet-of-things (NB-IoT) service. SES collaborated with Technolog to use its sensors that measure flow, pressure, transients and water temperature, and with Royal HaskoningDHV for its AI-powered analysis tools.
Daniel Woodworth, head of asset strategy at SES, called the smart network “a game changing milestone, not just for us and our customers, but for the water industry as a whole.”
He said: “We already have one of the lowest levels of leakage in the country, but we want and need to do more and our intelligent network will significantly improve the way we manage leaks and help reduce the total amount of water lost each day.
“The technology will herald improved customer service as we are able to know about issues such as bursts before the customer does, allowing us to respond to and resolve problems rapidly and provide a more reliable, consistent and resilient water supply across the network.”
As well as the commitment to lower leakage rates by 15% by 2025, the company is part of the sector-wide aim of cutting leaks by half by 2050.