Southern Water taps fiber network to sniff out leaky pipes
Another utility sees the light in putting existing telecoms infrastructure to work
UK water utility Southern Water is testing a new fiber-optic technology to detect leaks in its underground water network. The innovative system from Lightsonic utilizes Openreach's fiber network to sense leaks by analyzing tiny changes in light traveling through cables. Machine learning plays a crucial role in distinguishing these signals from background noise like traffic and roadworks, while estimating the location of water loss.
This technology has proven successful, preventing over four million liters of water wastage daily across 650km of the UK's water network. Southern Water is implementing the system following a particularly harsh summer in 2022, which left almost three-quarters of England under drought conditions. The company hopes the trial will help it reach Ofwat's leakage reduction targets by 2030 and improve drought resilience by lessening the strain on reservoirs and water abstraction.
Southern Water, responsible for water and wastewater services in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, West Sussex, East Sussex, and Kent, has demonstrated a commitment to reducing leakage for three consecutive years. However, the company's efforts in water conservation have been overshadowed by recent wastewater-related legal issues, including a £2.4 million fine for pollution violations in Kent and a £7.1 million fine for illegal sewage discharges.
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