NEC 2015 Annual Report Download - page 33

Contribute to Solving Water-Related Social Problems through ICT
Early Detection of Water Pipe Leaks with “Water Leak Detection Service” ensuring minimal wastage of water
With the world’s population expected to increase to more than 9
billion in 2050 and due to economic development and urbanization in
emerging nations, world water demand will continue to grow. In
addition, an investigative report by the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) warns that many regions face severe water
shortages due to the effects of climate change caused by global
warming. If this persists, it is predicted that two-thirds of the world’s
population will become “water-stressed” in 2025 and experience the
inconvenience that water shortage has on daily life. Under these
circumstances, it is important to use precious water resource without
wasting it. Unfortunately, there are many cities around the world with
water leak rates exceeding 10% due to aging pipes that are not being
upgraded because of cost issues and other factors. Therefore, water
resources are being wasted.
However, trying to eliminate water leaks while still using old water-
works infrastructure is a global challenge.
The Water Leak Detection Service that NEC launched in September
2014 contributes significantly to the efficient use of precious water
resources minimizing the wastage due to leak. With conventional water
leak detection methods, the most common approach is for a
maintenance specialist is to use a dedicated instrument to listen by ear
from the street level for the sound of water leaking from water pipes
buried in the ground. As a result, extensive checking is required and
timely detection is difficult. In contrast, by simply installing a sensor in a
water pipe valve, NEC’s Water Leak Detection Service can pinpoint a leak
within a range of about one meter by using a large amount of minute
vibration data. Therefore, water leaks that had until now been mostly
left undetected for a long time can be detected at an early stage.
Stopping water leak damage early also contributes to a reduction in
the energy needed for desalination. Moreover, it becomes possible to
provide water tailored to demand. This is achieved with weather
forecasting, demand forecasting based on the analysis of vast
amounts of water usage, and predicting failures by analyzing
equipment operation data. All of this is accomplished with a wide
range of technologies, such as sensing, machine-to-machine
communications (M2M), cloud computing, and Big Data analysis. These
are areas in which NEC is competent.
In addition, the Water Leak Detection Service places no extra load
on aging water pipes and can extend the life of waterworks
infrastructure. Moreover, because it is possible to find signs of broken
and faulty water pipes and equipment‘s resulting in preventive
maintenance “smart water management” becomes a reality, creating a
stable supply of water without waste.
NEC will continue to provide new value through smart water
management, including its
Water Leak Detection
Service, to solve social
problems related to water. Water leak sensor logger
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NEC Corporation
Annual Report 2015
Business Activities for Value Creation