Northern Ireland Water looks up to see leaks

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

Northern Ireland Water is using satellite detection technology in its aim to reduce leakage to sustainable levels.

The water firm a has appointed SUEZ Smart & Environmental Solutions and its technology partner, Asterra to supply the technology in a £2 million, four-year contact.

Under its current price control programme, PC21, the Northern Ireland Utility Regulator has set a leakage reduction target of 150 Ml/d by March 2027.

The reductions in the level of leakage use Asterra’s satellite-mounted synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology to locate water leaking from underground pipes. Asterra claimed leaks that have not breached the ground surface or have no surface evidence at all can be located. The water firm said: “Compared to traditional leak detection services and methods, satellite-based leak detection technology not only identifies more leaks per day, it increases field crew efficiency by more than 300%.”

Satellite leak detection has, according to Northern Ireland Water, won an American Water Works Association Innovation award and a Japan Water Works award in 2021.