Locating Leaks in the Water Industry

Overview

The water industry in the UK is a vital sector that supplies essential services to millions of customers. The water companies face an enormous challenge in meeting the performance commitments set by OFWAT, the economic regulator for the water sector in England & Wales. One of the primary challenges is to reduce the overall leakage rate by 16% by 2025. This target is part of the regulatory framework aimed at ensuring that water companies deliver high-quality services to customers while maintaining sustainable & efficient operations. Achieving this target requires innovative solutions to help detect & repair leaks more quickly & effectively, minimising disruption to customers & reducing water waste. In this context, new technologies such as drones have emerged as promising solutions to help water companies achieve their performance commitments.

Team UAV, a UK-based drone service provider, has developed innovative solutions to help water companies identify leaks, improve asset inspections & network efficiency, & reduce overall leakage rates. In this case study, we will examine how Team UAV's drone-based approach has transformed the way water companies approach leak detection & network analysis. 

The Challenge

Water companies in the UK face a daunting challenge in reducing the overall leakage rate, which is a significant problem for the industry. According to recent data, the UK's water companies lose an estimated 3 billion litres of water every day due to leaks. Traditional methods of detecting leaks, such as visual inspections, can be time-consuming, unreliable, & pose a safety risk for workers due to the need for excavation. These methods are also expensive & can cause significant disruption to customers as they may require shutting off water supplies to fix the leaks. Therefore, water companies needed an innovative solution that could help detect leaks more quickly, safely, & accurately, with minimal disruption to their customers. 

The Solution

Team UAV provided a range of services to the water industry, including leak detection, asset inspection, & topographic mapping. With high-precision multispectral & RTK sensors attached, drones can detect leaks & pinpoint their location. This approach minimises time spent searching for leaks & reduces the amount of excavation required for a given issue. Team UAV combined multispectral cameras with a bespoke algorithm to indicate where leaks may be present through an intuitive online reporting system, sharing this with their utility clients to enable them to target further investigation. They also used drones to create 3D "as-built" models of pump stations, water treatment & sewer treatment work networks for large UK water companies. 

The Result

Team UAV's drone-based approach to leak detection & network analysis has helped water companies reduce their overall leakage rate significantly. By pinpointing the location of leaks quickly & accurately, ground crews can respond more effectively, reducing downtime & minimising disruption to customers. The use of drones has also enabled more efficient asset inspections, reducing the need for manual inspections & ensuring compliance with safety regulations. The data collected by Team UAV's drones have provided water companies with valuable insights into their networks, enabling them to make more informed decisions & plan for future maintenance. 

Conclusion

Team UAV's drone-based approach has brought about a significant transformation in the water industry by providing innovative solutions to help water companies reduce their overall leakage rate & improve network efficiency. By combining highprecision multispectral & RTK sensors with bespoke algorithms, Team UAV's drones can quickly & accurately detect leaks, pinpoint their location, & provide valuable insights into network analysis. This approach minimises disruption to customers & ensures compliance with safety regulations while reducing the need for manual inspections. As the water industry continues to face significant challenges, drones will undoubtedly play a crucial role in helping companies meet their performance commitments & provide highquality services to their customers. Team UAV is at the forefront of this transformation, providing cutting-edge drone solutions that enable water companies to achieve their goals & contribute to a sustainable future. Looking to the future, Team UAV is poised to continue developing & refining its drone-based solutions for the water industry. With advancements in drone technology & data analytics, there is enormous potential for even more efficient & accurate leak detection, asset inspection, & network analysis. Team UAV is also exploring new applications for its drone technology in other industries, such as oil & gas, utilities, & infrastructure. As the use of drones becomes more widespread across industries, Team UAV is well-positioned to be at the forefront of this exciting technological evolution, providing innovative solutions to help companies address their most pressing challenges.