Clean drinking water is the world’s most precious resource and it is becoming increasingly scarce. Factors such as population growth, climate change and aging infrastructure are putting pressure on water suppliers.
Leak detection is a proven method of safeguarding water and at HWM we’ve developed PermaNET+ to change the economics of leak detection.
With over 3,100 million litres of water being lost per day (Water UK/Ofwat), the cost of non-revenue water to the UK’s water companies is substantial. Ofwat has demanding targets for leak reduction and investment in cost-effective leak detection equipment will support water companies in meeting these targets.
PermaNET+ is our award-winning leak detection system. Combining a leak noise sensor with our versatile telemetry technology, PermaNET+ creates a fixed leak monitoring network.
Affinity Water, Britain’s largest water-only utility servicing 3.6 million people in South East England has partnered with HWM to target a significant reduction in leakage rates using PermaNET+ fixed network telemetry.
Drew Richie, Managing Director of Wholesale Operations at Affinity Water explained that “by using the HWM PermaNET+ solution we can continuously monitor 25 percent of our network, identifying leaks in a matter of hours, rather than the days it takes using conventional techniques and technologies”.
PermaNET+ represents the next stage in the development of noise logging. Data generated by the noise logger is automatically sent to the user, removing the need to visit sites to carry out data collection. Data transmission is achieved through a combination of 3G, GPRS or SMS cellular communication.
The unit also sends an audio file for remote monitoring and correlation to localise the leak position. PermaNET+ is located entirely below ground, making it less intrusive and more practical for large-scale deployments.
Working in conjunction with Google Maps, PermaNET Web provides live on-screen tracking, allowing leakage teams to respond quickly to problem areas and bring them under control.
Fully waterproof and designed with the latest mobile technology to maximise dial in and minimise cost, PermaNET+ is a cost-effective remote leakage monitoring solution.
While many of the UK’s water companies including Affinity Water, Yorkshire Water and Thames Water are reaping the benefits, it is not just in the UK where PermaNET+ is helping to save customers money and water.
Danish specialist Leif Kock A/S has used PermaNET+ to save millions of krone for Denmark’s largest utility company.
A project consisting of an initial deployment of 185 permanent data loggers was established in Copenhagen to detect leaks.
On just the second day of the project the leak detection team identified a leak. When the team dug down they discovered that the water from the leak was running directly into the sewer.
“If we had conducted a study of this particular area using our old method a week before the leak began” explains Kim Roar, team leader at HOFAR “it would have been three years before returning to this area and discovering the leak”.
“In other words, the leak would have been continuously running into the sewer for three years. By our rough calculations, this leak alone would have cost us 1.2 million kroner (approx. £116,000)”.
This project illustrates one of the many benefits of PermaNET+, as PermaNET+ drastically reduces leak run time. PermaNET+ is an effective leakage monitoring solution developed specifically to reduce non-revenue water, saving water companies time, water and money.
