Space satellites, drones and public support are helping Northumbrian Water to reduce leakage from its water network.
The company is now aiming to reduce leakage even further, having utilised a wide range of methods to achieve its latest figures.
Northumbrian Water cut leakage from 137.05Mld (megalitres per day) in 2017/18 to 136.26Mld in 2018/19, a reduction equivalent to approximately 120 Olympic swimming pools per year.
Among the tools used to achieve the latest results are space satellites – using the same technology that helps search for water on other planets to find leaks here on Earth.
The company has also utilised drone technology and launched a Leakage Portal that allows members of the public to report leaks they spot and keep track of Northumbrian Water’s work to fix the problem.
Northumbrian Water’s Innovation Festivals have also seen data experts from a wide range of companies searching through tens of gigabits of information from a wide range of sources to look for new ways to tackle leakage. Outcomes have included an innovative method of identifying hot spots, which can then be used to prioritise target areas where the biggest impact upon leakage can be made.