Imagine treating and transporting billions of gallons of clean water, only to lose a third of it before it reaches a single household. Sounds like a waste of a precious resource in a time of increasing water scarcity and demand, doesn’t it? That’s the reality for many utilities grappling with non-revenue water (NRW). But what if your water system could be smarter? What if it could spot a leak quickly, or flag suspicious usage in real time? With smart technology and artificial intelligence (AI), that “what if” is turning into a reality.
NRW represents a significant challenge for water utilities worldwide. It includes any water that is produced but not billed to customers, resulting from issues such as leaks, theft or metering inaccuracies. NRW negatively impacts utilities drinking water production by causing substantial economic losses, increased pressure on water resources and higher operational costs. These are added stressors that all utilities want to reduce!
Siemens is emerging as a key player in addressing NRW, particularly through advanced leakage detection solutions powered by AI. The company’s innovative technologies are helping to transform how utilities detect, manage and reduce water losses, contributing to more sustainable and efficient water management practices.
Siemens’ Dynamic Trio for NRW Reduction
Siemens’ approach to combating NRW is encapsulated in its AI-based “Dynamic Trio” strategy, which integrates three complementary components to deliver a definitive water balance and breakdown of NRW:
Leak Detection in Distribution Network: Utilising advanced AI algorithms, Siemens’ solutions can identify leaks as small as 0.2 litres per second. This precision enables utilities to detect and address leaks promptly, minimising water loss.
Smart Meter Analytics: Analysing smart water meters to identify leaks in customer properties and meters that are performing outside of tolerance. Using this insight to generating meter replacement programmes with an ROI of 9-36 months reduces commercial losses.
Advanced Meter-to-Cash: An end-to-end solution that digitizes the consumer utility experience by automating meter data collection, validation, and management to ensure accurate billing and offer insights to reduce per capita consumption.
Dr. Adam Cartwright, Industry Strategy Director for Software in Water and Wastewater at Siemens added:
“Our AI-powered dynamic trio – SIWA Leak Finder, Data Meter Analytics, and Data Meter Management – represents a breakthrough in intelligent water network management. These solutions create a powerful ecosystem that enables water utilities to detect leaks with unprecedented accuracy, analyse consumption patterns in real-time, and optimise meter management for maximum efficiency. By leveraging artificial intelligence across these three integrated platforms, utilities can significantly reduce non-revenue water losses. This isn’t just innovation – it’s a transformative approach to sustainable water management.”
Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly valuable tool in helping water utilities manage and reduce NRW. By addressing both physical losses from leaks and apparent losses due to inaccurate metering, AI-based tools can support more efficient water management. Solutions like SIWA Leak Finder, SIWA Meter Data Analytics (MDA) and SIWA Meter Data Management (MDM) provide utilities with deeper insight into their networks, helping identify issues earlier and respond more effectively.
By using Siemens intelligent leak detection and data management, utilities have reduced leakage volumes by up to 50%, significantly cutting water loss. The faster and more accurately a leak is detected, the less water is wasted and the quicker it can be repaired. Ultimately this reduces service disruptions and enhances customer satisfaction. Smart meter analytics drastically reduce metering errors, delivering up to eight times more revenue compared to traditional replacement methods.
Real-World Success
Siemens’ solutions have been successfully implemented around the world, demonstrating their effectiveness in real-world scenarios.
Northumbrian Water Group (NWG): Siemens partnered with NWG to connect over one million smart water meters to a cloud-based data management system. This deployment represents Siemens’ largest-ever grid software implementation in the water sector. The system enables NWG to identify household leaks, reduce water consumption and meet regulatory targets set by UK water regulator Ofwat.
Thames Water: Collaborating with Siemens, Thames Water is building a meter data management system connected to millions of smart meters. This initiative has already improved the identification rate of potential leaks by 7%, showcasing the impact of digital transformation in leak detection.
Servicios de Txingudi: AI-based leakage detection solution has transformed their 285 km pipe network by identifying and resolving over 10,000 water-related events, while intelligently adapting to seasonal tourism demands through automated monitoring and dynamic threshold management, ensuring efficient water distribution and reduced losses.
EMAYA and EMASA: Siemens’ meter data analytics have been implemented in various international projects, including those with EMAYA and EMASA, further validating the scalability and adaptability of its technologies in diverse operational environments with measurable successes such as 8 time more revenue, 23 % reduction in metering errors, 64 identified anomalies resulting in quick corrective actions saving both water and money.
A Smarter And More Sustainable Future For Every Drop
Reducing non-revenue water isn’t just about fixing leaks- it’s about reimagining how we manage one of our most precious resources. With the rise of AI and smart infrastructure, utilities now have the tools to turn data into action. Siemens’ “Dynamic Trio” exemplifies how intelligent systems can detect problems earlier, respond faster and optimise operations for lasting impact.
The path forward is clear: smart, data-driven decision-making is now in the reach of every utility. It has been technically de-risked and the business case tested and proven around the world. As climate pressures and water scarcity intensify, embracing technologies that protect water at every stage of its journey isn’t just smart, it’s urgent. By investing in AI-powered solutions today, utilities can ensure a more resilient, efficient and sustainable tomorrow. Every drop will count and none will be lost to the unknown.
