Unitywater is simultaneously trialling two acoustic monitoring technologies on the Sunshine Coast: Israeli leak detection technology firm Aquarius Spectrum is supplying its AQS-SYS sensors, while Swiss intelligent water technologies company Gutermann is supplying its HISCAN sensors.
The sensors are inserted into pipes to monitor pressure and flow using acoustics, alerting network operators to variations that may indicate leaks.
The new technology is able to detect subtle changes in larger trunk water mains than the utility’s current system and provides data that can eventually predict future failure points.
“Water leaks of any size are always regrettable,” said Unitywater Executive Manager Customer Delivery Rob Dowling.
“They cause wasteful and costly water loss, they damage infrastructure and they cause concern and disruption for our customers who are often without water while we conduct repairs.
“These technologies address these issues by helping us to detect leaks of varying sizes before they escalate to major pipe bursts and asset failure.
“The key benefit of these sensors is their fast notification.
“They give us an instant alert to a pressure change, which then triggers a faster response from us on the ground and therefore a much swifter fix.
“To date, we have not been able to monitor small changes in pressure or flow in our trunk mains, which has made it difficult to take corrective action before a break occurs.
“This really takes our leak-detection technology to a new and sophisticated level, giving us much more comprehensive network coverage.
“As a result, our customers can be confident that we’re doing everything possible to reduce leaks in our network.”
For more information visit the Unitywater website.
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