Scottsdale Water
Arizona | FIDO Direct
Project type
Leak detection, leakage reduction, non-revenue water
Client
Scottsdale Water
Project size
15 miles of distribution pipeline
Featured product
FIDO Direct
Delivery partner
FIDO US
Gallons saved per day*
FIDO sensors deployed
Miles of network covered
*case study revised September 2024 with new information
The challenge
Scottsdale Water is a utility supplying water to more than 242,000 people in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, through a network of 2,136 miles of pipeline. The area’s main surface water supply comes from the Colorado River, which is an area of high water stress.
We were to use our FIDO Direct service to detect leaks in two parts of their water distribution system with very different pipeline material profiles.
This included a portion of mostly large diameter cast iron pipeline mixed with some sections of asbestos cement on Scottsdale Rd which is a very busy commercial district as well as a small section in northern Scottsdale made up of mostly PVC.
The total length of pipeline across both areas was 15 miles.
The solution
Over the course of just over three weeks, we systematically deployed FIDO mobile sensors on 293 assets to sample overnight acoustic data.
Once collected, the sensor data was instantly analysed by FIDO AI, which identified a number of potential leaks and generated waypoints as points of interest (POI) for on-site investigation by our trained teams.
FIDO technicians used the sensors again at each waypoint to further pinpoint the leak location and mark up the leak area ready for Scottsdale Water to excavate and repair. FIDO AI then verified that the repair work had been a success.
The results
FIDO AI accurately located a number of active leaks that Scottsdale Water had previously been unaware of.
These included a gasket failure on a ductile iron pipe of less than three years old, which was losing water at a rate of 10 gallons a minute. This leak wasn’t surfacing due to the pipe being wrapped in plastic.
Another significant leak was found on a leaded joint on a cast iron pipe under a busy seven-lane road in the commercial district, close to one of the busiest intersections in Scottsdale.
By finding and marking up these leaks, FIDO Direct directed the utility’s repair team to exact locations and minimise disruption to services and traffic by limiting the work area.
The combined volume of water saved by FIDO AI in Scottsdale totalled more than 9,460,800 gallons a year, which would otherwise have been lost revenue for the utility.
Video: leak on cast iron pipe
Before repair: FIDO AI analysis from data recorded at a sensor location on Scottsdale Water’s network showing the presence of a large leak.
After repair: FIDO AI analysis of data at the same sensor location on Scottsdale Water network after the leak has been repaired. The leak signature has gone showing that the repair was a success.
Dustin Vrska, Water Operations Supervisor - Scottsdale Water
FIDO Direct is our end-to-end AI-led leakage reduction service for water utilities delivered through global partners and our own UK-based teams.
We use FIDO AI to accurately spot leaks, then prioritize and mark up your largest, verify the success of your repair work and validate the volume saved. Completely non-intrusive.
Want to reduce leakage?
Talk to us about using FIDO Direct on your network