West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. now uses satellite imagery and artificial intelligence to detect underground pipe leaks consistent with its goal of reducing network losses and recover more water for distribution.
Maynilad tapped the technology of satellite-based infrastructure intelligence company Asterra for the initiative, particularly its patented algorithm originally developed to detect water on other planets.
Maynilad is the first water company in the Philippines to test the use of the technology for detecting underground leaks that involves applying algorithmic analysis to track the spectral signature of water underground over a land area of some 3,000 square kilometers captured in a satellite image.
The leakage that AI algorithms pick up are then captured in a geographic information system that specifies street location, enabling Maynilad to fast-track the process of detecting and repairing underground leaks.
Maynilad said under the year-long pilot use of Asterra technology, some 1,000 kilometers of primary lines will be examined to look for leaks.
“By leveraging on this cutting-edge technology, Maynilad can locate underground pipe leaks in a more efficient way, as it reduces the time and effort needed for our field personnel to pin-point leak sources that often involves digging test pits on the streets. This will help to facilitate our leak detection and repair activities, which are an essential part of our non-revenue water management program,” said Ramoncito Fernandez, Maynilad president and chief executive officer, in a statement.
Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines serving the cities of Manila, Quezon City, Makati, Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon as well as the cities of Cavite, Bacoor and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario in Cavite Province.
