Slash water waste with smart sensors

In an era where sustainability and energy efficiency are at the forefront of the building and property management sectors, water conservation has emerged as an increasingly critical issue. With rising costs and growing demands for environmental responsibility, property owners must find effective ways to reduce water consumption. One of the most overlooked areas is water leakage, which often occurs silently but can have significant environmental and financial repercussions. Additionally, addressing these issues can also improve a building's BREEAM certification.

In my last newsletter, I touched on the use of Aguardio water leak sensors and the AKKR8 gateway. Let’s delve deeper into what these two can accomplish.

Small Leaks, Big Costs

A simple issue like a leaking toilet can lead to substantial financial losses and unnecessary environmental impact. In large residential and commercial complexes, where every drop counts, small leaks can quickly escalate into larger-scale problems. Fortunately, new technological solutions now make it possible not only to detect and fix these leaks but also to prevent them before they cause damage.

According to Svenskt Vatten, an organization for water-related issues in Sweden, a single leaking toilet can waste between 400 and 800 liters of water per day. This highlights the importance of quickly identifying and addressing leaks to avoid both financial and environmental losses.

Millions of Liters Saved

In a project led by Denmark's fourth-largest housing company, the installation of leakage sensors is expected to save at least 30 million liters of water.

Project Overview:

- Deployment: 12,000 sensors are being installed in stages, with the first 660 sensors yielding positive results. This success led to the installation of an additional 3,000 sensors, with further expansions already planned.

- Expected Savings: If the project’s minimum goal of identifying leaks in 4% of the toilets is met, residents in the 12,000 apartments will save $200,000 USD annually. However, the savings are expected to be much higher since typically, 10-20% of toilets in such complexes leak.

Insight: The results underscore the substantial impact that smart sensors can have on water conservation, making a compelling case for the broader adoption of this technology.

From Drip-Drop to Data: How It Works

The sensors are mounted on the water pipe behind each toilet with zip-ties, where they detect temperature changes in the pipe when the toilet is flushed. Through an algorithm, the sensor distinguishes between a normal flush and a leaking toilet.

If water continues to run—even slowly—the sensor triggers an alarm, prompting residents to contact maintenance staff immediately, much like a smoke detector. Alternatively, the sensor can connect to a gateway that sends data to a cloud service, where leaks can be identified and analyzed.

Additional Benefits:

- Maintenance Planning: The system can also monitor toilet usage, which is valuable for planning the cleaning of public restrooms or when renovating public buildings.

- Preventing Pipe Damage: Additionally, frost damage to pipes can be actively avoided thanks to the monitoring of water temperature.

Enhancing BREEAM Certification with Smart Sensors

Beyond the direct economic and environmental benefits, implementing smart sensors for water conservation can also positively impact a property’s BREEAM certification. BREEAM, one of the world’s leading environmental certification systems for buildings, assesses sustainability across multiple categories, with water management being a key area. By installing smart sensors that monitor water consumption and identify leaks, a property can reduce its water usage and improve its score in BREEAM's water management category (Wat 01). Moreover, employing innovative technologies like smart sensors can earn additional points under the innovation category, where BREEAM rewards forward-thinking solutions that enhance building performance and sustainability.

Smart Investments for the Future

With the technological advancements that sensors represent, housing companies have a unique opportunity to drastically reduce both water consumption and costs. For instance, in a housing company with 12,000 toilets, if only 4% of the toilets were found to leak—considered a conservative estimate—it would result in an annual savings of approximately $96,600 USD.

However, the true potential is even greater. If 10% of the toilets leaked, which aligns with estimates from Svenskt Vatten, the savings would increase to $241,500 USD per year, equating to 75 million liters of water. And if as much as 20% of the toilets leaked, the company could save up to $483,000 USD annually, preserving 150 million liters of clean water.

Conclusion:

These figures demonstrate that investing in smart technology can help conserve our environment while also delivering significant financial benefits. For a toilet that leaks 600 liters per day—the average according to Svenskt Vatten—it takes less than a month of leakage for the sensor to pay for itself. By proactively monitoring and addressing water leaks, property owners can ensure both sustainability and profitability for the future.

Let’s continue the conversation on how smart technology can drive both sustainability and savings in property management. Feel free to reach out to discuss how these solutions could work for you