High-tech water monitoring system saves Elk Grove Village tens of thousands of dollars with first detection of underground leak
Shortly after the Village's new Aquify water monitoring system became fully operational, its Artificial Intelligence (AI) programming detected the first significant leak in the Village's water distribution network. Without the monitoring system this leak could have gone undetected for several weeks and it could have taken over a year to find the precise location for repair, losing 250 to 500 gallons of water per minute, and costing the Village tens of thousands of dollars.
The leak from the water main was flowing directly into the stormwater system, and as such it produced none of the surface-level indications that typically signify a leak, such as pooling or gushing water, or excessive ice buildup. It would have been extremely difficult to discover this leak without the Aquify monitoring system, which identified increased water flow in the system and notified the Village of the potential issue.
On January 30, Aquify notified the Utilities Division of the Public Works Department that a leak was occurring in the Village's water service infrastructure. The Aquify system, which uses pressure and flow sensors along with AI programming to detect leaks, detected a significant increase in water flow in a portion of the Village's water system. Public Works staff analyzed the water flow data with Aquify to narrow down the impacted zone and designate a search area. A Public Works crew then conducted a street by street search to determine the precise location of the leak, digging through snow to locate and open storm sewers to listen for flowing water. After over two hours of searching, the crew discovered water flowing underground into the side of a damaged stormwater inlet and were able to repair the leak.
"This new technology helps us figure out what is going on underground, so our crews can address issues in the system while they are smaller and more manageable" said Colby Basham, Director of Public Works.
The monitoring system's leak-detection ability is expected to improve through the use of AI programming and analytics, which learn more about the Village's water infrastructure the longer it is operational. The detection of leaks before they surface not only reduces water loss, it also prevents more disruptive and costly repairs that are necessary when undetected leaks turn into full-blown water main breaks.
"While the long-term benefits of Aquify's advanced monitoring system were clear, we are excited to be seeing results so soon. The results of these early interventions will compound and produce significant cost savings for the Village," said Mayor Craig B. Johnson. "Ultimately, this system will not only benefit the community financially, but also help create a more sustainable future."
Aquify, an Exelon Company, is a new and innovative service that uses sensors along with machine learning analytics software and a professionally staffed operations center to monitor the miles of underground water mains (underground pipes that deliver water to homes and businesses) to identify and address maintenance needs and emerging issues.