Yorkshire Water is working with Itron on a new smart meter water leakage trial in Sheffield which it hopes could play a key role in its leakage reduction strategy, saving up to 250,000 litres of water per burst.

The 1100 Itron Cyble TM meters will remotely send 15 minute water flow information back to water company every 12 hours. Using the data Yorkshire Water can identify when increases in demand are due to leakage and respond quickly. Using existing technology it is difficult to determine if increases in demand are due to customers consuming more water, or if there is a burst.

Sheffield was chosen as a location for the two-year pilot for geographical reasons - the hills in the city will test the capability of the wireless solution for transferring flow data. In addition, its elevation and closeness to the Peak District means the area faces harsh winters and the associated challenges with leakage during freeze-thaw events.

Installation of the new meters has now begun - the scheme is part of a wider £2 million project to create smart water networks in Sheffield and Hebden Bridge, which will look to reduce leakage and supply interruptions, whilst improving water quality.

Yorkshire Water’s Clean Water Network Strategy Manager, Adam Smith, said:

“This is an exciting new trial for us and emphasises our commitment to leakage reduction and service improvement for our customers. These new meters will hopefully help us find leaks and bursts a lot faster than previously, saving hundreds of thousands of litres of water in the process.”

Itron is building on a longstanding relationship with the water company in its collaboration with Yorkshire Water on the project.

Justin Patrick, senior vice president of Device Solutions at Itron said the company was excited to improve leak detection and improve water delivery for Yorkshire Water with its latest generation Cyble communication modules.

During the summer Yorkshire Water installed 40,000 acoustic loggers across the region and has invested an additional £50 million in leakage detection, including £4 million on replacing customers’ own supply pipes.