Collaboration between Sydney Water and the University of Technology Sydney has resulted in new artificial intelligence (AI) technology to detect potential water main leaks and breaks, avoiding costly pipe failures.
Sydney Water’s new technology utilises acoustic sensors that are placed in water mains throughout the city, which transmit signals to computers that run an AI program that interprets the data to identify the risk of leaks.
Four years’ worth of studies have confirmed the effectiveness of the new technology, and can predict the likelihood of a water main failure with 80 per cent accuracy within 200 metres.
The world-first AI water leak protection initiative has been rolled out in collaboration with the University of Technology Sydney and has saved an estimated 10,000 megalitres of water over a 30 month trial period.
The technology indicates Sydney Water’s aim to improve early detection, which greatly reduces the risk of catastrophic infrastructure failures and safeguards the city’s drinking water.
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