Yorkshire Water Piloting Advanced Smart Water Network In Sheffield
A new smart water network pilot is being carried out in Sheffield by Yorkshire Water, with nearly 2,000 upgraded meters installed so far and leakage in the region reduced by over 90,000 litres a day.
Findings from the trial scheme suggest that 32 per cent of all water leaks come from just one per cent of properties in the metered area, which indicates that there may well be some large leaks that customers aren’t aware of.
Leaks are also often found on pipes leading into buildings or bathrooms, with nearly one in ten customers likely to have a leaking toilet they don’t know about.
The pilot scheme won Utility Week’s Innovation Award 2020, involving a partnership of 18 organisations using innovative technology, such as flow meters, pressure loggers and acoustic loggers to monitor for leaks on the network. Abnormalities are monitored by the pilot dashboard and then flagged up for technicians to investigate.
The water supplier has helped customers repair issues on properties in the pilot area, reducing leakage by 92,160 litres a day – which is the equivalent of 1,152 baths every day.
If the project proves to be successful, smart water networks will change the way leaks and supply interruptions are managed, helping water companies save millions of litres of water in reduced leaks.
Head of leakage operations at Yorkshire Water Martyn Hattersley said: “We’re always looking to take advantage of new technologies to assist us in continuing to reduce the amount of water lost through leaks.
“The smart network pilot we’re currently running has seen some game-changing results. Insights from the pilot area will help us in targeting efforts to save water from being wasted – which in return, protects the environment and saves customer’s money on bills.”
The water company has also just issued a call for ten years of investment to help tackle the challenges of climate change, combined sewer overflows and increased resilience to benefit future generations.
It believes that regulatory reform will drive increased investment in various solutions as part of the response to growing public interest in combined sewer overflows and how they operate, which will be compounded by both climate change and population growth.
Yorkshire Water’s strategic plan calls on the government to provide earlier clarity and guidance on priorities, while improving the alignment of regulatory processes.
It also wants to see better recognition of partnership working with local councils, as well as a stronger voice for customers and regional stakeholders, and a simplification of the price setting process to be more efficient and cost-effective, making it easier to understand.
If you, as a business, would like to find out how you can save water across your site (which will have the added benefit of saving you money, as well), get in touch with the team here at SwitchWaterSupplier.com today to discuss the advantages of water bill audits and more.