The challenge
Hidden leaks drive non-revenue water (NRW), which reached 47% nationally in South Africa in 2023. Acoustic crews cover only 4–5 km of pipe a day and find 1–2 leaks, so a 3,000 km network can take over three years to survey. Satellite-assisted detection surveys the whole network in one pass and tells your crews where to dig.
Scope and core objectives
Whole-network survey
Capture L-band SAR imagery of your Area of Interest, covering thousands of square kilometres in a single pass.
Treated-water identification
Use the dielectric signature of treated drinking water to separate leaks from natural groundwater and other moisture.
Priority ranking
Rank suspected leaks by estimated severity and water loss so the highest-impact repairs come first.
Ground confirmation
Verify each suspected site with acoustic correlators and ground microphones before any excavation.
Capabilities
Satellite sensing
SAR sensor at 637 km altitude. Works day or night, in any weather, on any pipe material or diameter.
Signal processing
Patented radiometric corrections filter noise from buildings, vegetation, manmade and hydrologic objects before AI analysis.
Acoustic confirmation
Gutermann AQUASCAN TM2 correlators (1 km+ range) and AQUASCOPE 3 ground microphones with noise filtering.
What you receive
Suspected leak layer
GPS-referenced points over your pipe network, ranked by severity and clustered by zone.
Field confirmation
Survey123 reports with GPS, pipe material, severity, acoustic result and photos.
GIS delivery
Esri Shapefile (.shp) and KML (.kml), ArcGIS Operations Dashboard and Field Maps.
Reporting
A report after every scan cycle; the network can be resurveyed several times a year.
Proven locally
16 leaks confirmed in 2 field days on a 500 km pilot (City of Tshwane); 40 leaks identified at Rand Water.
Lower cost per leak
Crews visit pre-identified sites, cutting cost per leak found by up to 70%, with no upfront CAPEX.
Scope a satellite leak detection project
Every engagement starts with a joint scoping session. Tell us about your network and we'll come back with a proposal.