New AI Solution Helps Municipalities Find Leakages in Wastewater Pipes and Save Money
The European tech company Wioniq introduces WATER+, an AI-based monitoring solution developed by Pluvion. The solution helps municipalities detect hidden leaks and reduce unnecessary treatment costs. (Image source: Wioniq Group)
Many cities struggle with the challenge of large amounts of foreign water seeping into the sewer systems. This inflow & infiltration (I&I) silently drives up treatment costs, increases energy use, and burdens infrastructure. The AI-powered WATER+ solution, developed by Pluvion and distributed through Wioniq, gives municipalities a smart, data-driven way to locate, quantify and address these inflows.
“Almost every municipality struggles with inflow and infiltration. At the same time, it’s difficult to know exactly where the leak occurs. The AI WATER+ solution which is a part of Wioniqs IQ platform makes it easier to analyse the network and inefficiencies in real time – lowering costs, saving resources, and strengthening local infrastructure,” says Phillip Grimm, Co-founder & CEO at Pluvion GmbH.
Turning Data into Actionable Insights
The solution combines sensor data with AI analysis trough Wioniq IQ WATER+. Automated monthly reports are generated, showing the most affected zones, data quality and reliability, along with clear heat map. The system’s integration capabilities allow municipalities to embed the platform directly into their GIS or web systems, while its battery-powered, contactless sensors ensure low maintenance and minimal installation effort.
“Wioniq IQ WATER+ solution is delivered as a plug-and-play solution, making it easy for municipalities to get started quickly, with minimal operational effort and high scalability,” says Karl-Johan Wirfalk, Managing Director at Wioniq.
Ahead of the launch, a pilot project was carried out with a Water Utility in Austria. The project combined WATER+ intelligent sensors with advanced machine learning to continuously monitor the municipality’s sewer network. By analyzing data in real time, the system generated digital heat maps highlighting problem areas. Follow-up inspections identified illegal connections and infiltration points – issues that would otherwise be very difficult to detect manually.
Scaling Across Europe
Following the successful pilot, Wioniq plans to expand the deployment of WATER+ across Europe. Future versions will include advanced leak quantification, integration and measuring of more infrastructure data etc.
“We are very excited with our partnership with Pluvion, and we plan to roll out WATER+ to municipalities across Europe. By strengthening and securing local networks with stronger preventive maintenance, WATER+ can directly lead to a more reliable sewage system and lower costs for maintenance work,” says Karl-Johan Wirfalk, Managing Director at Wioniq.
Source: Wioniq Group
