Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board goes high tech again, this time to plug leakages, theft

Bengaluru: The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is set to use Artificial Intelligence, predictive analytics, and robotic inspection technologies to detect water theft and reduce leakages across the city’s water distribution network.

As part of the initiative, the BWSSB has agreed to facilitate a joint pilot study by two startups, SmartTerra and Solinas, aimed at identifying sources of unaccounted-for water and reducing non-revenue water losses.

The project has been selected under the Titan Design Impact Awards 2.0 Deep Impact Phase and will be funded entirely through a grant from Titan Company Limited. Villgro is the incubation partner and WELL Labs the technical partner.

The year-long study will be implemented at zero cost to the BWSSB, with the utility providing support only for essential civil works such as excavation, pipe repairs, and replacement wherever required.

Smart systems

SmartTerra will deploy AI-driven predictive analytics to identify vulnerable pipeline segments and assess potential leakage risks before failures occur. The startup will also use acoustic sensing technology to pinpoint underground leak locations without extensive excavation.

Solinas will undertake robotic inspection of water pipelines, deploying robots inside distribution networks to detect structural defects, blockages, and hidden leakages that are otherwise difficult to identify through conventional methods.

The technologies are expected to help the BWSSB monitor water distribution patterns, assess demand, detect losses, improve billing efficiency, and strengthen revenue
collection..

Board opens doors to startups

BWSSB Chairman Ram Prasath Manohar V said the water board is committed to creating opportunities for startups to validate and scale solutions that address real-world urban water challenges. “The BWSSB is actively encouraging technology-led innovation in the water sector. We are opening our infrastructure as a ‘test bed’ for startups developing cutting-edge solutions for urban water management. Data-driven scientific approaches and digital workflows have the potential to significantly transform how cities manage water resources” he said. Manohar added that priority zones for the pilot study will be identified shortly following which field surveys and technology deployment will commence. “Our primary objective is to reduce financial losses caused by water leakages and theft while also preventing contamination arising from defects in the distribution network. If successful these technologies could become an important component of Bengaluru’s future water management strategy” he said.