WaterGroup helps Sydney Water listen out for leaks

Sydney Water is continually exploring and implementing innovative technologies to improve water services for its five million customers.

In collaboration with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), the water utility is improving strategies to reduce leaks and breaks across its network using acoustic sensors — selecting four leak-detections systems and deploying 229 acoustic sensors across five CBD areas including Sydney, Bankstown, Penrith, Chatswood and Liverpool.

One such system is WaterGroup’s Sebalog N-3, which allows water utilities and large water users to continuously monitor water networks for leaks — helping clients save money and water.

WaterGroup Managing Director Guenter Hauber-Davidson said time is of the essence when detecting and locating leaks.

“Our N-3 noise sensor network leak monitoring solution allows leaks to be detected in days rather than months, and minimise[s] long-term losses across the network,” he said.

“We are happy to be a part of Sydney Water’s leak detection program, with 73 out of the 229 sensors provided by WaterGroup.

“Since the sensors were deployed, they have identified 13 leaks and a further eight alerts as of November 2020, which are now all under investigation.”

WaterGroup’s smart N-3 loggers magnetise to pipes, allowing continual monitoring for leaks. Every day between 2 and 4 am, loggers take 100 measurements of the noise level, also recording a two-second audio file at 2 am. The logger will only send the audio file if the lowest measured noise level exceeds a set threshold value. The audio files and histogram data of the 100 measurements can be accessed on the Seba Cloud portal.

Using the four leak detection systems, Sydney Water has detected up to 70 hidden leaks, with crews already repairing 45 of these leaks — including two water main breaks.

Image courtesy of WaterGroup