Southern Water is trialling smart sensors to monitor water quality in Rownhams, Hampshire.

The water company is trialling a network of over 100 sensors that monitor the quality of water in its pipelines, enabling it to observe water quality parameters from reservoirs to customer taps.

The technology ensures Southern Water has an excellent understanding of, for example, why water may occasionally have slight discolouration so it can make improvements to customers’ water. The sensors can test for many parameters including colour, pH and chlorine.

The smart sensors may also help predict leaks before they happen so the utility can resolve issues before they occur and minimise disruption for customers.

Drew Brown, R&D Project Manager at Southern Water, said the water company is predicting that in ten years time, smart water networks will be the norm.