Multiple water companies trialling a new end-to-end leakage detection system from Ovarro have seen significant time-savings and efficiency gains.
EnigmaREACH is an all-in-one correlating kit, comprising 32 or 64 acoustic leak loggers, an app to guide technicians through logger deployment, retrieval and follow-up, and access to Ovarro’s automated data analytics platform.
The managed system supports leakage teams by completing much of the upfront data analysis for users, enabling faster deployment of loggers on a wider scale, and automatically identifying points of interest (PoIs) using advanced correlation techniques. Following the EnigmaREACH launch in July 2024, Ovarro partnered with five UK water companies on trials in targeted district metered areas (DMAs).
For each trial, an Ovarro engineer used the EnigmaREACH deployment tool in the Atrium cloud platform to identify the best locations in the DMA for up to 32 loggers. The process continues as water company leakage technicians install the loggers and retrieve them the following day using the EnigmaREACH application.
Overnight logger sound files are uploaded to the Atrium platform, which completes the correlation and generates the PoIs for the user to view when they log into the system. The PoIs can then be assigned to technicians to follow-up directly through the app.
The trials for water companies across individual DMAs consistently achieved:
Time-savings in logger deployment planning – the process to establish the best logger install locations previously took around 30 minutes, sometimes using a paper-based approach. With EnigmaREACH, the deployment plan is automated and takes no longer than 10 minutes.
A reduction in follow-up times – from three days to approximately 1.5 days across a single DMA when compared to traditional methods
Wider network coverage – due to Enigma loggers being spaced between 150m-275m apart, compared to historic logger placement of between 75m-100m apart
Time-savings in data analysis and PoI pinpointing – due to the automated correlating capabilities of the Ovarro software. Manual in-house analysis may take up to three hours per deployment, while with EnigmaREACH, automated analysis is taking minutes
Time-savings in PoI follow-up visits – due to the pinpointing accuracy of the analytics software, field technicians are finding leaks in less than 30 minutes, around half the time spent typically carrying out follow-ups
Between five and six leaks found per overnight deployment of up to 32 loggers
Identification of previously unknown users drawing from the network overnight, supporting an overall reduction in non-revenue water
Discussing the findings, Ovarro product line director Ben Crabtree said: “We have had a fantastic response to EnigmaREACH since launch and are delighted to have partnered with five UK utilities to trial the system – with more to come. Our trial partners have seen time savings across the end-to-end leak detection process, with the biggest reduction being in data analysis, by moving from a manual to automated process.
“Another big saving has been in the follow up of PoIs. This is consistently taking a fraction the time due to the reliability of the Enigma technology, meaning leakage teams can cover more ground in a single day. Additionally, one EnigmaREACH system is able to monitor a wider area than a traditional lift-and-shift kit. This means a 64 kit can cover around 16km, comfortably.
“In terms of leaks found, the trials are consistently identifying five or six leaks per deployment of up to 32 loggers in one DMA. Again, if you use a 64-logger kit, the number is likely to rise to 10-12 leaks – a significant number of leaks found per deployment.”
Ofwat’s 2024 price review final determinations challenge companies to cut leakage to the lowest levels since privatisation by 2030, with expected investment of £720m. This is alongside targets to halve leakage by 2050, as part of longer-term water resources management planning.
The targets reinforce the need for companies to capitalise on new technologies and data availability in AMP8, driving the adoption of scalable, end-to-end services.
Crabtree said: “The water sector is realising the power of data-led technology and, as the technology advances, so will the capabilities of the products.
“EnigmaREACH is proving it will deliver significant whole-life savings as the leakage process becomes faster and smarter. Critically, it is also proving its ability to precisely pinpoint leaks on a large-scale, supporting performance and efficiency targets and revolutionising how we cut water loss.”
