Sub-Gigahertz Leak Detection: Preventing Water Damage with IoT

Water leakage is a critical issue affecting residential and commercial properties across the UK, with severe financial, environmental, and operational consequences. The rising cost of water bills, paired with the prevalence of insurance claims for water damage, highlights the urgency of finding innovative solutions for leak detection.

The Water Leakage Challenge

In the UK, over 1 trillion liters were estimated to have been lost last year due to leaks and 51 liters of water is wasted per person, per day in England and Wales, according to Ofwat.

Aging infrastructure leads to undetected leaks caused by corroded pipes, weather damage, and structural shifts. This results in costly repairs, higher insurance premiums, and wasted environmental resources.

Identifying leaks before they cause serious damage is notoriously difficult, especially in older buildings where leaks may develop silently under floors or behind walls. Traditional methods of detection - visual inspections or waiting for signs of water damage - are reactive and often come too late.

When a leak becomes noticeable, issues like damp, weakened structures, and extensive water damage have already set in, resulting in costly remediation efforts.

The age and condition of some of the UK’s infrastructure only compounds this issue. Many properties were built decades ago, making them particularly vulnerable to leaks that go undetected for extended periods. Property managers and councils urgently need efficient, accurate leak detection for managing aging building portfolios.

A Technological Solution

Instead of relying on infrequent manual inspections or reacting to a burst pipe, IoT technology, and sub-gigahertz connectivity offer a promising solution to this problem.

By deploying sensors that monitor moisture levels, flow rates, and pipe integrity, leaks can be pinpointed at their earliest stages - and long before they become visible to the naked eye. These sensors can be installed in new and existing properties, ensuring broad applicability across residential, commercial, and public sector buildings.

LPWAN connectivity below 1GHz outperforms cellular and Wi-Fi networks in range, penetration, and underground transmission. Sub-gigahertz technologies enable long-range communication and reliable signals through steel, concrete, and underground environments.

Lower power consumption ensures longer field life, ideal for buried devices requiring extensive maintenance for checks or replacement.

Beyond early detection, these systems can also automate immediate responses. Sensors can trigger valves to instantly shut off water supply when detecting leaks, preventing further damage.

This process can even be done remotely using an app, giving users precise control over water flow within their property. IoT and LPWAN integration enables proactive, hands-free solutions, replacing traditional reactive approaches to long-standing problems.

Benefits for Property Management and Insurance

The shift from manual inspection to automated monitoring benefits property managers and insurers. IoT-enabled sensors can continuously monitor water systems, providing real-time alerts to enable swift intervention before a minor problem escalates into a major one.

This reduces the need for routine physical inspections and allows facilities teams to manage multiple properties remotely, improving efficiency.

In the insurance sector, advanced leak detection technologies are increasingly recognized for their ability to prevent leaks and reduce claims. Insurers in the UK today currently pay out an estimated £1.8 million per day for water-related claims.

Installing leak detection systems reduces claim frequency and severity, helping insurers lower premiums for property owners. This creates a mutually beneficial situation, where insurers minimize losses while property owners gain protection and peace of mind.

Addressing Environmental and Conservation Implications

Beyond the financial and operational benefits, IoT and sub-gigahertz connectivity have an important role to play in addressing wider environmental concerns around water wastage too. Water conservation is becoming an urgent priority in the UK, especially in the context of climate change.

Current projections suggest that by 2050, the UK will need an additional 5 billion liters per day to meet demand. It is therefore no surprise that the Environment Agency has identified smart meters as becoming the standard in this field in the future, on the road to ensuring long-term sustainability.

Consider, for example, a historic building in central London. Due to its age, the building's plumbing system has developed a slow, undetected leak in a pipe running beneath the floorboards of a tenant’s flat.

Without IoT sensors, hidden leaks can cause severe structural damage over months. This leads to costly repairs, claims, and water loss.

However, with IoT sensors installed, the system detects abnormal moisture levels almost immediately, triggering an alert to managers. The issue is then swiftly addressed before the leak has a chance to escalate, saving both the property and water resources.

This proactive approach highlights how this technology can transform leak detection, particularly in older properties that present significant maintenance challenges. In complex urban areas, these technologies precisely locate issues in old buildings or new developments, improving infrastructure management.

Such precision allows for more effective conservation efforts, helping to protect what is fast becoming a scarce resource.

A Modernizing Approach

IoT and sub-gigahertz connectivity offer a modernizing approach to addressing water leakage issues in the UK. By embracing these technologies, property managers and insurers can mitigate risks, reduce costs, and contribute to the conservation of the UK’s water resources.

As the country continues to modernize its infrastructure, these solutions will play a vital role in shaping the future of water management and enhancing the resilience of buildings nationwide.