A Sunshine Coast tech company is poised to demonstrate how it could help save water on a global scale.
Leakster has been awarded the Federal Government’s Accelerating Commercialisation Grant, worth $640,000, to help address failing water pipes.
Company CEO Sara Richardson said the money would help put the company’s innovative solutions on the map.
“This grant will empower Leakster to demonstrate its cutting-edge leak detection and location system, revolutionising water utility operations while addressing water scarcity issues,’’ she said via a media release.
It said that the 2021 National Performance Report detailed that water utilities lost an average of 35,000 litres of water per service connection per year, and that based on a national average water price, this means raw water losses cost each customer connection $100 a year, with this number varying by utility and region.
“When you add in additional costs such maintenance, repairs, energy use and water treatment and increasing infrastructure spending on water collection, the real cost to each customer is much higher,” Ms Richardson said.
“In a time when cost-of-living pressures are affecting Australian households, it is time to take a more comprehensive approach to solving the issue.”
The release said the World Bank and UNICEF estimated that by 2025, half of the world’s population would be living in water-stressed areas and Australia, being the driest inhabited continent on earth and among the highest consumers of water globally, faced the impacts of the crisis firsthand.
It said that water utilities and associated pipeline infrastructure failures contributed significantly to the problem and that non-revenue water was a major supply-side issue affecting water sustainability. Non-revenue water refers to water that is lost or unaccounted for in a water supply system before it reaches the end consumer. It includes physical losses (such as leaks, evaporation and pipe bursts) and commercial losses (such as unauthorised consumption or metering inaccuracies).
Leakster said that, worldwide, an average of 50 per cent of extracted water travelling through pipes never reached its destination and was classed as non-revenue water. In developing countries, this figure can reach as high as 75 per cent, while developed countries face an average of between 10 per cent to 30 per cent of loss. Ageing pipeline infrastructure exacerbated the problem, making it difficult for utilities to assess the condition of their underground assets and identify leakage issues promptly.
Leakster’s project, supported by the Accelerating Commercialisation Grant alongside matched funding from angel investors, aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of its leak detection and location system in water utilities.
Key project objectives include building and installing Internet of Things (IoT) sensors in the water network to monitor and locate leaks continuously and remotely. The project will track the utility-side benefits and cost savings including water saved, to demonstrate the customer return on investment.
Leakster’s innovative solution was expected to enable utilities to proactively identify and rectify leakage issues, saving valuable water resources and reducing economic losses.
“Water loss has plagued utilities for years, and it is time we empower them with the technology to monitor and maintain their underground assets,” Ms Richardson said.
“By addressing the inefficiencies in the supply side of water distribution, we are directly contributing to managing water scarcity.
“Leakster’s comprehensive solution will have profound commercial and social impacts.
“We are grateful for the support of the Australian Federal Government in driving this vital project forward.”
Leakster said early reports showed Australia was facing an unusually dry winter, with forecasted El Nino weather patterns to be back in focus, and a shift in weather patterns may signal the start of another period of drought. With the increasing price and scarcity of water, Leakster’s project was expected to contribute to a more sustainable water future.
“It is time for utilities to make an early investment in leakage management before the problem becomes acute,” Ms Richardson said.
“By leveraging innovative technologies and collaborations, Leakster aims to pave the way for comprehensive water management solutions worldwide.”
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