A game-changing UK partnership that is bringing significant improvements to leak detection rates globally has been recognised by the water industry. Technology specialist Ovarro and UK utility Anglian Water Services collaborated on the development of remote leak detection device Enigma3hyQ and cloud-based analytics platform PrimeWeb.
Between April 2018 and January 2021, the system found 6,783 leaks on Anglian Water Services’ network, with a 1:1 ratio of leaks found to points of interest issued. The sensors are effective in finding leaks over long distances and inside plastic pipesand have gone onto be rolled out globally, including in Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and across Europe.
The achievements of the collaboration were recognised by the Water Industry Achievement Awards on 27 May 2021, which named it Alliancing and Partnership Initiative of the Year.
Judges commented: “This project stood out from a list of high-quality entries with a clear demonstration of the benefits of approaching a major regulatory and customer issue in an innovative way. The collaborative nature of this initiative and the open sharing of knowledge has delivered significant improvements in Anglian Water’s leakage detection rates.”
Leakage remains one of the biggest concerns for the water industry and Ofwat is expecting companies to adopt new techniques to tackle it in AMP7. In collaborating on the Enigma3hyQ project, Ovarro and Anglian Water wanted to develop technology to increase efficiency when compared with traditional acoustic detection, save time, free-up staff and improve leak detection on plastic pipes.
The utility approached Ovarro in 2017 with an idea to adapt existing technology by combining two products – a correlating noise logger and a site-based hydrophone. A development team was established with experts from both organisations to create the Enigma3hyQ system’s hardware and software elements, including a workflow management app and PrimeWeb.
The team refined processes around performance reporting, target outcome delivery, training and integration with business-as-usual leakage operations. Following a trial on 40km of mains in Louth, Lincolnshire, Anglian Water Services began fully embedding the technology.
Anglian Water Service’s smart water strategy manager Andy Smith said: “We very much created the Enigma3hyQ technology together. We didn’t want to just accept what was on offer, we wanted to collaborate to drive for the best solution for the challenge we faced.”
Josh Britton, Ovarro global product line manager, said: “We are thrilled our collaboration with Anglian Water to develop the Enigma3hyQ system has been recognised by our sector peers at the Water Industry Achievement Awards. The project’s success shows how much can be achieved when suppliers work in partnership with utilities, place high value on feedback and take their ideas forward to develop new solutions.”
In 2021, the technology was updated further, resulting in the launch of the Enigma3-BB, a remote leak detection device that uses the Enigma3hyQ technology but is installed directly into an operational meter box chamber – a first for the industry with this type of technology.
Ovarro Ltd
www.ovarro.com
+44 (0)1246 437580
About us
Ovarro is the new name for Servelec Technologies and Primayer.
At Ovarro, we connect big data to make a big difference.
Some 40 years ago; our business was started through its people collectively working together, sharing knowledge and ideas to create products that would deliver benefits to our customers through engineering ingenuity, helping us to grow into the business we are today.
A business spanning four continents, providing critical technology that’s working 24/7 behind the scenes, ensuring people and businesses can get on with their daily lives.
Through innovation and collaboration, we help support business critical assets and national infrastructure around the globe with industry-leading, data-driven solutions that enable organisations to work smarter and more effectively.
Secure, proven, trusted engineering. Integrating seamlessly with our assets. Collecting and communicating data from remote locations in the most demanding of environments.
Ovarro works with customers and our global partner network across Water, Oil & Gas, Broadcast and Transportation to manage their assets efficiently, intelligently and collaboratively.
Where we supply to
UK Ireland, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, North America
Industries we supply to
Automation, Chemicals, Energy and Power, Food and Beverage, Glass Ceramics Cement, Metals and Minerals, Recycling, Water and Wastewater
