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Lightsonic

From leak detection to utility infrastructure intelligence

Lightsonic uses existing fibre networks to detect leaks across large-scale water networks.
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Water leak detection, proven at network scale

2.3 million+
liters water saved per day, and rising
4x
leak technician efficiency
650 km+
of network monitored in live deployments

Vast networks with limited visibility and significant water loss

Water utilities operate pipeline networks spanning thousands of kilometres, much of it built decades ago and difficult to monitor at scale.

Leaks often go undetected, leading to water loss, inefficient field operations and costly investigations.

At the same time, water scarcity is increasing due to climate change, drought risk and declining groundwater levels. Reducing water losses is one of the fastest ways to improve water security without building new infrastructure.
20%
Network leakage in the UK
3bn litres
Daily UK water loss
1tn litres
Yearly UK water loss
50%
UK leak redcuction target by 2050 set by Ofwat
35%
Average network leakage in EU
34%
People affected by water scarcity in EU
15bn m³
Yearly water loss in EU
27%
Groundwater bodies at risk in EU
GBP
4bn
Yearly non-revenue  water cost in the UK
300 years
Time to replace UK water network at current rate
55 years
Average age of water pipes in the UK

Continuous leak detection across water networks

Lightsonic uses existing fibre infrastructure to continuously monitor water networks at scale, enabling utilities to detect leaks earlier and over larger areas of their network.

Rather than relying on blind searches, field teams are given clear Points of Interest so they can target the right areas faster and work more efficiently.
What water utilities receive

Actionable points of interest

Regularly updated locations where potential leaks are detected, ready for field validation.
What water utilities receive

Continuous leakage reporting

Ongoing monitoring with structured outputs that fit into existing workflows.
What water utilities receive

Clear prioritisation of field work

Focus teams on the most relevant areas instead of broad, manual search.
Built for real networks

±10 m location accuracy

Pinpoint likely leak locations to support efficient field investigation.
Built for real networks

Detection of even small leaks

Identify leaks from ~0.3 m³/hour before they escalate.
Built for real networks

Works across pipe types

Effective on plastic, metal, and mixed infrastructure networks.
“
Strengthening how we identify and address leaks is central to our leakage strategy. By working with Lightsonic and Openreach, we’re enhancing our existing detection programme with continuous network monitoring, helping our teams target areas of interest more quickly and reduce the time leaks may run before repair.

This technology complements the expertise of our field technicians, supporting earlier intervention, better planning and reduced disruption for customers, all by using fibre that’s already in the ground.
James Curtis
Head of Leakage
Affinity Water

Operational gains. Strategic impact.

From field productivity to water resilience, Lightsonic turns earlier detection into measurable value.
Field productivity to
2 leaks
per engineer / day
Water savings
reaching
1ML/day
per 100km water
network
Achieve
60%
network
coverage
Accelerate
leak reduction targets
set by regulators
Targeted field
operations
reduce operational costs
for utilities
Enable a
drought
resilient
water network

From fibre to actionable leak detection

Foundation

Use existing fibre infrastructure

Existing fibre networks provide a ready-made sensing layer across large parts of the water network, enabling coverage without new infrastructure.
Telecom fibre networks often run alongside water pipelines. These fibre routes provide continuous coverage and can act as distributed sensors along many kilometres of infrastructure.

Lightsonic works with utilities and fibre network partners to define an initial deployment area where fibre and pipeline routes overlap.
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Activation

Convert fibre into a sensing system

By introducing sensing capability, the fibre network is transformed from passive infrastructure into a continuous source of real-time data.
Lightsonic and its fibre partners install sensing units that connect to the existing fibre network. These units send pulses of light through the fibre and measure small changes caused by vibrations near the pipeline.

Together, the fibre and sensing units form a distributed system that continuously detects activity along the network.
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+

Interpretation

Analyse signals to identify leaks

Raw acoustic data is processed and contextualised to separate meaningful events from everyday background activity.
Signals captured along the fibre are analysed using advanced signal processing and machine learning models with Lightsonic Sense.

These models distinguish leak signatures from background activity such as traffic, construction and environmental noise.
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+

Application

Deliver actionable leak insights

Insights are translated into clear, usable outputs that support operational prioritisation and scalable monitoring across the network.
Lightsonic Insights highlights potential leak locations along the network and delivers clear points of interest for field teams.

This allows utilities to prioritise investigations, reduce unnecessary work and focus on the areas most likely to require attention. Monitoring can then be expanded across larger parts of the network.
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+

Why Lightsonic is different

A new approach to monitoring water networks at scale.

Actionable points of interest

Provide field teams with clear, prioritised locations to investigate, reducing time spent searching and improving efficiency in the field.

Cost efficiency at scale

Improve the amount of leakage detected per pound spent by shifting from labour-intensive search to targeted, data-driven investigation.

Improves with every deployment

Detection performance strengthens over time as models are trained on real-world data and validated leak events across different network conditions.

Scale through existing fibre

Monitor large parts of your network using infrastructure that is already in place, without the need for widespread sensor deployment.

Continuous monitoring, not periodic checks

Move from scheduled inspections to ongoing detection, allowing leaks to be identified as they develop rather than weeks or months later.

Earlier detection of low-flow leaks

Identify low-flow leaks before they escalate into larger failures, helping reduce long-term water loss and infrastructure damage.

The UK Billion Litres Challenge

Find more leaks. Recover more water.
Join the challenge
Across the UK water sector, billions of litres of treated water are still lost every day through leaks in our networks. Utilities have made significant progress in reducing leakage, but achieving the next step change will require new approaches that expand how networks are monitored.

That’s why we are launching The Billion Litres Challenge, a call to accelerate network-scale leak detection across the sector by 2030.

By combining existing infrastructure, fibre sensing intelligence, and collaboration between utilities, telecom partners, and Lightsonic, we have the opportunity to detect more leaks across larger parts of the network and recover water that would otherwise be lost.

The challenge is simple: find more leaks, recover more water, and strengthen the resilience of the UK’s water networks.

From leak detection to utility infrastructure intelligence

A single application can unlock a broader shift in how infrastructure is understood and managed.
Reducing water loss at scale requires moving from reactive operations to continuous awareness across water networks.
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The same capability that enables leak detection, fibre sensing combined with continuous machine learning, can provide ongoing insight across utility infrastructure. Over time, this enables utilities to understand their networks more clearly, prioritise interventions more effectively, and respond faster to emerging issues.
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This is the direction Lightsonic is building toward: Utility Infrastructure Intelligence.

Not as an abstract vision, but as a practical evolution, starting with leak detection and expanding toward a new operating model for infrastructure awareness.

Start with leaks. Build toward Utility Infrastructure Intelligence.

Reduce water loss and strengthen network resilience

Lightsonic helps utilities monitor infrastructure networks at scale using existing fiber networks.
Whether you are working to reduce water losses, improve network visibility, or strengthen resilience, our team would be happy to discuss how Lightsonic can support your objectives.

Request a demo