GWF BALANCE Decision Support Tool: Blending Fundamentals and Innovation to Reduce Leakage Volume in South West Water, UK
Winner
Excellence in Business to Business
Energy Solutions
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 in supply networks pose a significant challenge for sustainable resource management. The BALANCE Decision Support Tool offers a groundbreaking solution by analyzing the hydraulic balance of entire supply zones with an innovative macro approach, thereby strategically identifying and prioritizing leaks. By reducing the system to a few selectively chosen measurement points and employing intelligent data synthesis, it enables precise recommendations for pressure optimization and targeted leak detection. This leads to a significant reduction in water losses, rapid decision-making, and more efficient use of resources. BALANCE impressively demonstrates how simple field data, through smart analysis, can revolutionize leak management while simultaneously promoting measurable progress toward climate goals.
