Aquarius Case Study in Hagihon (The Jerusalem Water Utility): 20% Decrease in NRW and decline in Pipe Bursts

The Solution

In September 2013, the Utility, together with Aquarius Spectrum, started implementing a fixed water monitoring and leak detection solution. More than 1600 acoustic sensors were installed during 18 months to cover most of the Utility’s water distribution network.

Results

As of August 2016, the Aquarius-Spectrum system has found more than 226 hidden leaks in the Jerusalem area, 171 of which were in the public distribution network and 55 in private properties. Fixing those leaks resulted in potential savings of over a million cubic meters of water for the Utility. NRW was lowered by 18%; the number of visible (reported) leaks (bursts) has declined.

In addition, the Aquarius-Spectrum system has discovered more than 250 non-leak faults, including partially closed valves, faulty water meters, malfunctioning non-return valves and other items of equipment under the responsibility of the water Utility.

Pipe Bursts in Decline

The rising trend in the annual number of pipe bursts was halted and a drop in number is evident since the deployment of the system. See below the numbers, year by year.

226 Hidden Leaks

As of August 2016, the Aquarius-Spectrum system has found more than 226 hidden leaks that have been repaired by field teams. Without the Aquarius-Spectrum system they would have stayed hidden, causing continuous water loss, or burst into the open at some future date, causing much secondary damages. See the figures in the graph below.

The Aquarius-Spectrum system is helping HaGihon to revolutionize the way it manages leak repairs, allowing it to switch from a reactive mode to a planned approach. The Utility is now able to plan its repair schedule to fix hidden leaks before they become visible bursts, thus reducing the cost of contractors, avoiding collateral damage to infrastructure, informing consumers well in advance of shutting off of water supply for maintenance, reducing shutoff times and improving customer service by notifying consumers of hidden leaks on their premises. All this saves money and improves the level of service.