Aquarius Spectrum’s sensors can spot leaks before they happen

An Israeli startup claims its technology can detect leaks as small as an eighth of an inch (33mm), as well as locate potential weaknesses in pipes before they even start to leak.

Aging water infrastructure means cities around the world are losing huge amounts of water to leakage, wasting water and money for utilities companies. A 2014 report by NPR claimed a sixth of treated water in the USA was lost to leaks, the equivalent of 2.1 trillion gallons a year. Forbes claims the figure lost to leaks is actually closer to 30%.

Founded in 2009 by David Solomon, Aquarius Spectrum is based just outside of Tel Aviv, Israel. The startup develops both sensors and software designed to monitor water utilities’ pipe systems and send alerts the moment a leak starts to develop.

Aquarius Spectrum’s pipe monitoring systems can be installed on pipes, hydrants and valve pits. Every night, the sensors take acoustic measurements then send the readings to a cloud server. Through correlating the measurements, the company’s software can determine the distance of a leak from a sensor. The system allows Aquarius Spectrum to pinpoint the location of a leak with a deviation of just 1%.

HaGihon, Jerusalem’s water and wastewater utility, have already employed Aquarius Spectrum’s services. In 2013 the company installed 1,600 sensors across the city’s water distribution network. Within three years 226 hidden leaks had been detected in Jerusalem’s water infrastructure.

Aquarius Spectrum’s sensors can even provide water utilities information about leaks in private buildings. “We can tell if the leak’s in an office building or a flat, or if the problem is with the water meter, a pressure reduce valve—anything that creates a noise that should not be creating a noise,” said Aquarius Spectrum’s CEO, Oded Fruchtman, in an interview with TriplePundit.