Software aims to detect leaky pipes

07/09/11

Matt Gibson

Computer software developers have designed a piece of technology aimed at preventing flooding by identifying leaks in old water pipes.

The system makes use of technology used in the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the latest computer games, which helps find the leaks which are common in worn out Victorian pipes.

Leaks can cost water companies millions of pounds and these costs are often passed on to customers in the form of higher bills at a time when many families are tightening their belts due to the harsh economic climate.

Similarly, home insurance customers might have to make a claim if their house is flooded following a leak, which may cause the price of their policy to rise when it’s time to renew.

Professor Zoran Kapelan, of the University of Exeter's Centre for Water Systems, where the system was designed, said: "We are using the latest Artificial Intelligence and computer gaming technologies to help them find ways of identifying leaks and other problems faster than ever before."