GWF BALANCE Decision Support Tool: Blending Fundamentals and Innovation to Reduce Leakage Volume in South West Water, UK
Winner
Excellence in Business to Business
AI Methods
Details
South West Water (SWW), in collaboration with GWF Ltd, implemented a pioneering data analytics project to address severe drought conditions in Cornwall. By utilising the BALANCE DSS, the initiative moved beyond traditional AI-centric trends to focus on "source intelligence"—the reconstruction of core leakage principles. A 7-DMA trial achieved a 54% leakage reduction in 6 weeks, saving 101 tonnes of CO₂-e. With a 1.4-month ROI, it optimised resources by sending the right people to the right place to do the right thing, demonstrating that sophisticated analysis derived from simple field inputs can revolutionise utility resource management.
The Jury‘s Statement
Water losses due to leaks pose major challenges for water utilities, requiring efficient and sustainable solutions. The GWF BALANCE Decision Support Tool offers intelligent, data-driven leak reduction that utilises physical principles through an innovative macro-level approach and provides a comprehensive picture of the hydraulic balance using just a few measurement points. This strategic analysis enables the targeted identification of weak points and provides prioritised recommendations for pressure optimisation and leak detection. In this way, the system helps water utilities to use resources efficiently, make quick decisions and achieve sustainable progress in water management.
