Aquarius and SUEZ New Jersey Case study
Technology
Between 2018 and September 2021 SUEZ NJ adopted the Aquarius Spectrum solutions and implemented 2,000 acoustic sensors in New Jersey’s operation. These sensors are permanently installed and monitor the underground pipeline on daily basis, providing accurate location of hidden leaks as well as analysis of the pipeline’s condition to prioritize the replacement of faulty pipeline sections.
Methods
SUEZ NJ shared their history of leak repairs performed in years 2016-2019 so that Aquarius could perform analytics of both the history of breaks along with an analysis of the background leaks they identified through their acoustic sensors. This was to assess the condition of the SUEZ water pipes and direct them to the right failing pipes, so that they optimize their annual replacement budget. In addition, Aquarius monitored the growth rate of background leaks to spot sections with high growth rate, which suggests a poor condition pipe. Aquarius is the only acoustic system that can measure and estimate the size of a leak – hence they can measure how fast they grow. Most leaks will not grow unless the condition of the pipe is poor.
Results
By using Aquarius Leak Detection capabilities, SUEZ NJ located and fixed more than 500 leaks during 2018- 2021, which helped reduce NRW by more than 20% while savings Billion Gallons of Water. By using the new Pipe Condition Module, they were able to identify bad sections that suffered from repeated leaks and fast growth rate of leaks. Today pipe renewal is done by real condition rather than age. Aquarius also supplied SUEZ NJ with predictive maintenance report that included the pipes they need to replace to avoid future catastrophes.
The Impact
- Using Aquarius’ leak detection solution, SUEZ NJ achieved the lowest NRW rates they ever had.
- Using Aquarius’ Pipe Condition Assessment module – Replacement of pipes is not done by age anymore but by failure rates analyzed by the AQS system that uses big data analytics and analysis of leak dynamics. SUEZ moved from being reactive to being proactive and efficient.