Stanthorpe, Queensland

Number of leaks found

litres a day, largest leak

water saved a year

The challenge

Southern Downs Regional Council (SDRC) provides water for around 20,000 people and businesses in southwestern Queensland.

After investing in smart water technology and saving 20 megalitres of a year in the town of Stanthorpe (pop. 5,300), the council’s smart water management system is now considered one of the most sophisticated in Australia.

However, in the face of growing water scarcity, this was not enough for the forward-thinking managers at SRDC. Seeking to drive down leakage and non revenue water still further, they approached FIDO partner Detection Services to explore even more advanced measures to improve long-term efficiency and resilience.

The solution

Detection Services opted to equip their expert leak detection teams with Leak Locate, Powered by FIDO AI.

FIDO AI identifies leaks by size by analyzing acoustic and kinetic data on pipeline networks. FIDO AI can detect leaks from tiny nuances in pipeline data that might be missed by other technologies.

Working closely with SDRC, advanced sensors were strategically deployed across several district metered areas (DMAs) in Stanthorpe where they believed smaller untraced leaks were being missed.

The results

Using FIDO AI, Detection Services helped SDRC find 45 previously undetected water leaks across their Stanthorpe network.

The leaks ranged from 0.5 to 5 liters per minute and amounted to an additional total annual saving of 21 megalitres, more than doubling the water conservation from its smart water project. What’s more, the council was able to find leaks more quickly and more precisely than it had with other standard acoustic surveys.

The project also revealed granular detail which SDRC can use to inform maintenance programs. For instance, of the 45 leaks identified, 15 were from hydrants and amounted to around 30% of total water losses.

The partnership between SRDC and Detection Services, powered by FIDO AI, helped Stanthorpe record its lowest water loss levels, setting a new standard in regional water management.