"The consequences of not reducing leakage as demand grows are too high a price to pay"

Can you tell us briefly about your career path and your current role at Ovarro?

I studied as an electrical engineer and on graduation started work as a software engineer at a company called Biwater Spectrascan – a manufacturer of instrumentation for the water industry. After five years I was head-hunted for a software engineer role in a new start-up company, Primayer. During the 23 years I worked for Primayer I progressed to being the technical director overseeing areas including software development and after-sales support activities. 

In 2019, Primayer was purchased by Servelec Technologies and, following a rebrand, Ovarro was born. Within Ovarro, I became the VP of Engineering, heading up the global engineering teams. The years 2020 and 2021 were difficult times with a global pandemic and ensuing supply chain crisis. This had a big impact on the engineering team, with everyone working incredibly hard to redesign products to essentially stand still.

At the end of 2022, as the workload stabilized, I was able to step back and refocus on the new role of technology leader (leakage solutions). This gives me the responsibility of planning the long-term technology roadmap strategy for the leakage solutions part of the business.

What are the primary causes of water leakage in water networks?

An uncomfortable truth is that lack of investment is a big cause of water leaks. Throughout the world, the water network infrastructure is aging. It is not economical to replace every single water pipe to ensure it doesn’t leak, so we need to embrace technology and allow it to guide us in how best to use the available money wisely.

How does climate change exacerbate the problem of water leakage in water utilities?

Of course, aging infrastructure is not the only reason for leaking pipes. Changes in temperature – specifically freeze-thaw events and ground-shifting, will cause pipes to move, potentially leading to extra stresses and bursts. With the effects of climate change worldwide, we are seeing more frequent drought and flood events, which will affect and weaken infrastructure.

Looking at these climate events in more detail, the demand on the system will vary – for example, using more water for irrigation in a dry period – putting more pressure on the delivery system and making the consequences of losing water through leaking pipes more unacceptable for customers.

What strategies does Ovarro recommend for achieving near-zero leakage in water networks by 2050?

If we are to achieve such an ambitious goal, water utilities need to continue to invest in innovation, support new ideas and share findings. Key to this is collaboration with their supply chain – give us your problems and then work with us to give you solutions which are tailored to your needs. 

Ovarro’s new as-a-service platform LeakNavigator is a tangible example of how closer working with suppliers can bring more efficient outcomes. The end-to-end leakage detection service takes complete ownership of the upfront logger deployment planning and day-to-day data analysis, directly alerting technicians to points of interest. Having the entire analytics process managed by a supplier frees up skilled leakage technicians to target their time on pinpointing leaks with a very high likelihood of success. Another example was the development of the Enigma3hyQ leak logger, in partnership with Anglian Water, to help solve the challenge of detecting leaks in plastic pipes.

I would encourage all water companies to talk to their technology providers about what their outcomes should be and their strategies for getting there. Working collaboratively with suppliers will help move towards those outcomes in an efficient and cost-effective way.

Could you elaborate on the potential environmental and economic benefits of achieving near-zero water leakage in global water networks?

Water is a precious commodity – globally 30% of the treated water put into pipes is lost as leakage. Treating and pumping this water is a waste of precious resources, both environmental and economic. As the global population continues to grow, the demand for water will continue to rise, making it more precious. I think we should switch this statement around and understand that the consequences of not reducing leakage as demand grows are too high a price to pay. Otherwise, we really will move into the disaster of water scarcity.

How do advancements in sensor technologies play a crucial role in addressing the challenge of water leakage in water networks?

Our leading Enigma3hyQ loggers use immersed acoustic hydrophone sensors that listen to sound waves inside the pipe to pinpoint leaks

Thanks to the development of remote acoustic loggers which can be permanently fitted underground, leakage data can be gathered through fixed network systems. These systems enable water company control rooms to remotely monitor networks continuously.

Our leading Enigma3hyQ loggers use immersed acoustic hydrophone sensors that listen to sound waves inside the pipe to pinpoint leaks. A UK-patented mathematical correlation technique is fundamental to the operation of Enigma3hyQ.

The fixed devices return data to our cloud platform to be analysed by utility leakage teams. Described by a customer as a “game-changer”, the system has been found to be three times more efficient than traditional detection techniques have been. The sensors are also effective in finding leaks over long distances and inside plastic pipes.

Of course, this technology is advancing all the time. The updated Enigma3-BB allows the device to be installed directly into an operational meter box chamber. LeakNavigator, launched in 2022, was the UK’s first fully managed, fixed network leakage service, comprising loggers, cutting-edge software and Ovarro’s in-house leakage expertise.

How does Ovarro's approach and technology in addressing water leakage and related challenges distinguish itself from other companies operating within the same sector?

Ovarro has an engineering background. Over the last 40 years, we have been taking customer problems and providing solutions. We have been manufacturing market-leading leakage detection equipment for the last 25 years and recognise that customers are now more willing to work collaboratively with suppliers.

We want to provide solutions for our customers rather than simply products that they buy. I hope our customers feel that Ovarro is fully supportive through the whole lifecycle of any solution they purchase from us, rather than simply being the supplier of equipment.

Ovarro’s aim is to “connect big data to make a big difference”. By looking at the bigger picture, I feel that we are able to achieve this aim.

Could you tell us about some of Ovarro’s latest projects that highlight successful implementations of innovative technologies for leak detection and prevention?

Thames Water selected LeakNavigator to deliver a three-year leakage reduction contract. The sensors provide a daily call-in with leak data, and just 20 weeks into the project, 788 leaks had been raised and categorised. A total of 5.78 megalitres of water per day has been saved in the areas served by LeakNavigator.

Updates on our Atrium analytics platform allow filtering out of spurious noises, such as electrical interference and PRV noise, when analysing for leaks. There are other AI/machine learning techniques being investigated for improving results from products which are already installed and sending data.