MOBILTEX IoT Solution Generates Significant Savings for Major UK Water Utility 

Water transients in utility distribution systems are short-lived intense pressure waves that present a growing operational risk for water utilities. These transients can originate from various operational conditions, such as sudden demand spikes or routine operations of pumps and valves. Over the past decade, the detection of transients using dataloggers has become a common practice, particularly among progressive utilities monitoring critical transmission mains. However, traditional transient detection has primarily focused on identification, rather than detailed analysis of transient waveforms or understanding their role in pipe bursts and leakage. 

Scottish Water recently launched Phase 2 of an ambitious program aimed at improving transient detection and characterization. This initiative built upon Phase 1, where Scottish Water collaborated with GCRTech to develop high-speed dataloggers capable of collecting detailed transient waveforms. The technology has now been deployed across 110 sites, immediately detecting and logging thousands of transients on the system. The data collected is combined with operational data, burst history, and pipeline metadata, helping Scottish Water identify correlations between transient activity and high burst frequencies. As a result, improvements in network and operating practices were implemented, which are estimated to have prevented over 2,500 bursts in the first year alone, translating to an initial saving of over £2 million. 

The high-speed transient dataloggers from GCRTech are designed to sample water pressure at speeds of up to 1000 Hz, providing a detailed snapshot of oscillating pressure, which can stress pipelines, especially as they age and degrade. The granularity of the logged data and GCRTech’s unique detection algorithms allowed Scottish Water to pinpoint the origin of each transient wave and understand how it travelled through the network. This data informed broader efforts to develop transient mitigation strategies by comparing transient data with pipeline asset information, leak and burst history, pipeline replacement data, and operational data. 

This program has become a foundational practice for Scottish Water, enhancing its ability to predict, track, and monitor pressure transients through scalable sensor technology. It exemplifies the value of collaboration between utility leaders and technology innovators like GCRTech in creating advanced solutions that support preventative decision-making and foster proactive practices. With an attractive ROI, Scottish Water has shown the industry how smart investments generate great value for customers while protecting civic infrastructure and the environment.