The Water Leak Detection System Built for Utility Networks
A complete water leak detection system for utilities — monitor pressure, flow, and minimum night flow across your entire distribution network, and act on leaks before they become losses.
ThingsLog delivers a purpose-built water leak detection system designed to help water utilities, municipalities, and infrastructure operators find and fix losses faster. Built on the ThingsLog IIoT Platform and NRW Data Logger hardware, the solution provides continuous monitoring of district metered areas (DMAs), minimum night flow analysis, and real-time burst alerts — while also addressing the broader Non-Revenue Water (NRW) challenge across your network.
Key Components of the Solution
-
1. Flow Monitoring
- Utilizes industrial water meters and ultrasonic flow meters to accurately measure water flow in pipelines.
-
Detects anomalies in flow patterns that may indicate leaks or unauthorized usage.
- Optimized for DMA and Virtual DMA zone monitoring and analytics
-
2. Pressure Monitoring and Management
- Employs IoT data loggers to monitor pressure levels in real time across the water distribution network.
- Helps identify pressure zones with high leakage risks and enables proactive pressure management.
-
3. IoT Data Loggers
- Collects data from flow meters, pressure sensors, and tank level sensors.
- Transmits data via global network services (e.g., LoRaWAN, NB-IoT, GSM) for real-time monitoring and analysis.
-
4. Device Management and Control Platform
- A centralized platform for managing and controlling all connected devices.
- Enables remote configuration, diagnostics, and firmware updates.
-
5. Dynamic Intelligent Map Portal
- Provides a visual representation of the water distribution network, including flow, pressure, and tank level data.
- Features real-time data visualization and alarming for quick identification of leaks, pressure drops, or other anomalies.
-
6. Integration with Controllers for Automated PRV Control:
- Can be combined with controllers to monitor and automate Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) operations, ensuring optimal pressure levels and reducing water losses.
- Supports integration with pumping station automation solutions for a comprehensive water management system.
Key Features and Benefits
Leak Detection
Identifies and locates leaks in the water distribution network, reducing Non-Revenue Water (NRW) losses.
Pressure Optimization
Monitors and controls pressure levels to minimize pipe bursts and extend infrastructure lifespan.
Real-Time Monitoring
Provides 24/7 visibility into flow, pressure, and tank level data for proactive decision-making.
Energy and Cost Savings
Reduces energy consumption and operational costs by optimizing pumping and pressure management.
Scalability
Suitable for small to large-scale water distribution networks.
Sustainability
Helps conserve water resources by minimizing losses and improving network efficiency.
Water Leak Detection Use Cases
Water Utilities
Reduce non-revenue water, monitor pressure and minimum night flow, and achieve regulatory compliance across your entire distribution network.
Municipalities
Manage water distribution across urban and rural areas. Detect leaks early, reduce water loss, and protect public water resources.
Industrial Facilities
Optimise water use in factories, production plants, and processing facilities. Integrate with existing SCADA and BMS systems for full visibility.
Commercial Buildings & Campuses
Sub-metering, zone monitoring, and leak detection across office towers, mixed-use complexes, and corporate campuses.
Retail Chains
Monitor hundreds of stores from a single dashboard. Detect leaks in back-of-store areas, staff rooms, and service zones before they become damage claims.
Hotel & Hospitality Groups
High water intensity, 24/7 operation, and brand risk from visible damage make IoT leak detection essential for any hotel group managing multiple properties.
Gas Station Networks
Monitor forecourts, car wash systems, and underground infrastructure. Detect water leaks before they escalate to ground contamination or equipment failure.
Airports & Corporate Real Estate
Massive footprints, zero downtime tolerance, and complex pipe networks — centralised IoT monitoring is the only scalable approach for multi-terminal or multi-building estates.
Explore Our Products
NRW Data Logger
Leak detection data logger for combined pressure and flow monitoring Available with 4G/2G, CatM1 or NB-IoT or LoRa/LoRaWAN telemetry
Thingslog IIoT Platform
Thingslog offers a Remote Monitoring and Control as an IIoT platform that offers out of the box support to a great variety of low power data loggers, water meters, modbus devices and many smart devices with ESP, Arduino and Tasmota firmware.
Water Leak Detection: Frequently Asked Questions
Find clear answers about deployment, integration, data collection, and network performance monitoring.
How does the ThingsLog NRW solution work?
The NRW solution combines flow and pressure monitoring with cloud analytics to identify water losses, leaks, and inefficiencies across distribution networks.
What data is used to detect non-revenue water?
The system analyses flow, pressure, and consumption data from multiple network points to detect anomalies and imbalance zones.
How does the solution support leak detection?
Abnormal flow patterns, pressure drops, and night-flow analysis help identify areas with potential leaks for targeted investigation.
Can the NRW solution work with existing infrastructure?
Yes. It integrates with existing meters, sensors, and communication networks, allowing gradual deployment without major infrastructure changes.
How does NRW monitoring support operational decision-making?
The platform provides dashboards, alerts, and historical data to help utilities prioritise maintenance and optimise network performance.
Does ThingsLog play the role of DMA analytics platforms for reducing non-revenue water?
Ineed ThingsLog NRW is exactly a tailor-made DMA/vDMA analytics solution based on flow and pressure monitoring data loggers, intelligent controllers, a piece of IoT, and a bit of charm of an AI analytics platform.
Still have questions? Contact us to discuss your water leak detection needs or visit our Help Center.
If you are interested to find out more:
Understanding Non-Revenue Water (NRW)
Non-Revenue Water refers to the difference between the volume of water put into the distribution system and the volume billed to customers. NRW has three components: real losses (physical leaks and pipe bursts), apparent losses (meter inaccuracies, illegal connections, data errors), and unbilled authorized consumption (fire fighting, network flushing). Globally, NRW averages 25–30% but can exceed 50% in aging networks. For utilities, every percentage point of NRW reduction represents significant cost savings in water production, treatment, and energy.
The ThingsLog Approach to NRW Management
District Metered Area (DMA) Monitoring
The network is divided into DMAs — isolated zones with defined entry and exit points. ThingsLog installs flow and pressure loggers at zone boundaries. The platform automatically calculates the water balance for each DMA, comparing inflow against metered consumption to identify excess losses. DMA monitoring is the foundation of any effective NRW programme: without knowing where losses occur at a zone level, field resources are deployed inefficiently across the entire network. ThingsLog supports both permanent DMA monitoring installations and temporary step-testing configurations for initial loss assessment surveys.
Minimum Night Flow Analysis
At night (typically 2–4 AM), legitimate consumption is minimal. Any excess inflow detected during this period is a strong indicator of background leakage. ThingsLog automatically calculates MNF for each DMA nightly and alerts operators when it exceeds the expected baseline.
Pressure Management for Leak Reduction
Higher network pressure increases both leak rates and burst pipe frequency. ThingsLog monitors pressure at multiple points and recommends or automatically adjusts PRV setpoints to maintain service levels while minimizing pipe stress. Each 10m reduction in average zone pressure can reduce leak rates by 4–6%.
Burst Detection and Localization
Sudden pressure drops or unexpected flow increases trigger immediate alerts. The platform correlates data from multiple monitoring points to narrow the likely burst location, reducing the search area for field crews from kilometres to a few hundred metres.
Technical Integration
The ThingsLog NRW solution integrates with existing utility infrastructure: Modbus flow meters and pressure transmitters connect directly to data loggers; existing SCADA systems receive data via API or MQTT; GIS platforms can overlay monitoring data on network maps; billing systems integrate via API for apparent loss analysis.
ROI of NRW Monitoring
| Utility Size | Annual Water Production | 30% NRW | Cost of Losses (at €0.5/m³ production cost) | Payback Period for ThingsLog Solution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small (2M m³/yr) | 2,000,000 m³ | 600,000 m³ | €300,000/yr | 6–12 months |
| Medium (10M m³/yr) | 10,000,000 m³ | 3,000,000 m³ | €1,500,000/yr | 3–6 months |
| Large (50M m³/yr) | 50,000,000 m³ | 15,000,000 m³ | €7,500,000/yr | 1–3 months |
Standards and Compliance
ThingsLog NRW monitoring aligns with the IWA (International Water Association) water loss methodology and supports reporting requirements for EU Water Framework Directive compliance. The platform generates standardized reports on water balance, NRW components, and infrastructure performance indicators (ILI — Infrastructure Leakage Index).
Workforce and Operational Benefits
Beyond the direct financial savings from reduced water losses, ThingsLog NRW monitoring transforms day-to-day operations for utility staff. Control room operators gain a live overview of every monitored DMA, replacing manual daily inspection rounds with exception-based management — staff focus attention only on the zones flagging anomalies. Field crews receive precise location data before departing the depot, reducing wasted travel to areas without active leaks. Management receives automated weekly water balance summaries and trend reports without manual data compilation. The combined effect is a leaner, more responsive operations team capable of managing a larger network with the same headcount.
Getting Started with NRW Monitoring
A typical NRW monitoring project begins with a network audit to identify existing DMA boundaries, available metering points, and current data gaps. ThingsLog can support this assessment remotely using network schematic data provided by the utility. Following the audit, a pilot DMA is selected and instrumented, providing the first real-time water balance data within days of installation. Results from the pilot — including identified leakage volumes and pressure profiles — form the business case for a full network rollout. ThingsLog supports utilities through the full project lifecycle: device supply, installation guidance, platform configuration, operator training, and ongoing technical support.
