“IT and OT security are critical as water infrastructure needs to be protected for the public good.”

How does integrating AI technology into Maynilad’s operations contribute to its Non-Revenue Water (NRW) management program?

Currently, 80 to 90 percent of Maynilad's NRW is due to leaks, and up to 90 percent of these leaks do not occur, meaning additional efforts are required to locate them. Leak detection is therefore a crucial element in Maynilad's NRW management program.

Integrating artificial intelligence into Maynilad's operations adds value to our NRW program by expanding our leak detection capabilities

AI technology helps Maynilad find more leaks, faster. Integrating AI technology into Maynilad's operations enhances our NRW program by expanding and complementing our existing technologies and leak detection capabilities. Using machine learning algorithms, AI identifies segments of the pipe network where leaks are likely to occur based on available information such as pipe materials, age, repair history and NRW data. AI helps optimize the allocation of resources such as labor and equipment by pinpointing areas of the pipe network where the likelihood of pipe failure is high, ensuring efforts are focused on the most critical areas.

What were the key results of Maynilad's pilot test of Infrawise AI technology and how did it impact the company's leak detection efficiency?

The first run of Infrawise covered 1,700 kilometers of pipelines from 410 district areas with high NRW area. Infrawise identified 756 kilometers with a high probability of failure. The leak detection teams are then dispatched to these segments to investigate and locate the exact location of leaks. Maynilad was able to find 1,525 leaks in these segments, an average performance of two leaks per inspection kilometer.

The rate of leak detection in the segments recommended by Infrawise is higher than the rate of examining the entire pipe network, which is usually referred to as blanket leak detection, which is only 1.59 leaks per kilometer.

Infrawise is an effective complement to the standard approach to leak location, the so-called step test. The latter involves deploying the team on site to examine and locate areas of the pipe network for targeted leak detection.