Smart water monitoring provides better control – and fewer leaks
Text and images from Svenska Dagbladet.
For many communities, water is one of the most important but also most vulnerable resources. A hidden leak can quickly lead to high costs, unnecessary water consumption and, in the worst case, water shortages for residents.
Through digital monitoring and smart metering technology, Ambiductor helps customers detect problems in time and gain better control over their water networks.
Ambiductor is a Swedish technology and knowledge company that develops IoT-based solutions for smart metering and digital monitoring of water consumption. The company works with municipalities, housing companies, housing associations, tenant-owner associations and industrial operations that want to streamline their water management and detect deviations before they develop into costly problems.
One of the customers is a housing association on Blidö in the Stockholm archipelago that is responsible for the drinking water supply to 294 properties. The area consists largely of holiday homes, which poses special challenges when it comes to water pipes, winter conditions and leakage risks.
From uncertainty to control
The reason for the investment was recurring problems with leaks that could be difficult to locate. With Ambiductor's solution, the water network is divided into smaller monitoring areas where water flows are measured and analyzed in real time. When a deviating flow is detected, the system sounds an alarm immediately and shows in which area the problem is located.
- Previously, we could have had to search among hundreds of subscribers. Now we can quickly narrow down the problem to a significantly smaller area and act immediately, says Göran.
The result has been both faster measures and a reduced risk of large amounts of water being lost before the problem is discovered.
- We have had leaks even after the system was introduced, but now we find them very quickly. That is the big difference.
Digitalization that protects important resources
For communities and housing associations, smart water metering is not just about technology. It is about securing access to a socially critical resource while simplifying administration and reducing costs.
Today, Göran can monitor the water network directly from his computer at home and immediately contact those responsible when an alarm occurs.
“It has cost money to build the system, but it has been worth every penny. The consequences of not detecting leaks in time can be significantly greater,” he says.
As demands for sustainable resource use increase, Ambiductor sees a growing interest in digital water monitoring. For customers like the Blidö community, it is about something as fundamental as secure access to water, and about being able to act before small problems become big ones.
“The system helps us find leaks faster and gain better control over the entire water network. For us, it has made a big difference,” concludes Göran.
Göran Odhnoff, chairman of the community on Blidö in the Stockholm archipelago.
Text: Isabelle Ibérer, Svenska Dagbladet
