Anglian Water uses drones to inspect underground water pips

In response to a record summer heatwave and prolonged drought, British utility Anglian Water has stepped up its use of drone inspections to spot leaks in underground pipes more quickly, an effort that has saved the company and its customers countless gallons Expensive wasteful leaks.

Anglian Water, one of the largest water companies in the UK, has been using drones since 2017 to monitor the 24,000 miles of major underground pipes that serve communities in south-east England. But in response to evidence that global warming will make hotter temperatures and lower rainfall a recurring problem, Allianz is using a diverse approach to spot leaky areas faster so that more Act quickly to repair and often cost less if caught early.

The renewed effort has focused on a reservoir near Colchester which, like the rest of eastern England, has seen much less rainfall this year. Previously, drones fitted with thermal sensors were flown along the pipeline's route around Colchester, gathering data that allowed Anglian to map temperature differences that signal potential damage. Analysis using FLIR software produces a color or grayscale map of the surveyed area, with hotter spots surrounded by cooler areas (or vice versa in summer), often indicating network leaks, says Chris Utton, Anglian's dense leak delivery manager.

Meanwhile, given the impact of record heatwaves and reduced rainfall, Anglian decided to also use its drones as aerial eyeliners, scouting the terrain above its pipes for evidence of water leaks to benefit the otherwise thirsty foliage. Utton explained: "Our drones are looking for
Regular plant growth, during dry weather like we saw this summer, could indicate a leak in our water pipes. These leaks are often really hard to find. In the past, drones have helped us find and fix leaks in sections of piping that we had previously planned to replace. This technology can save us up to £7,000 per flight in lost water leaks and tens of thousands of pounds in preventing unnecessary pipe replacements, helping us keep our customers' bills low. "

In fact, undetected water leaks that persist for longer periods of time not only result in costly water loss but progressively widen the point of damage, favoring corrosion in wet soils leading to larger, more expensive and more damaging repairs . But Anglian saved millions in costs by combining airborne drone technology with logic and plant monitoring.

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Specification Version: Quadcopter Battery-powered Version

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Folded Dimensions: 440mm*210mm*200mm(excluding propellers/landing gears)
Empty Weight: 5.4kg (including battery)
Battery Weight: 2.8kg
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Flight Time: 90min (no payload) 68min (800g payload) 45min (2500g payload)
Max Speed: 30m/s Max Lifting Speed: 4m/s
Max Descent Speed: 3m/s
Max Angle of Pitch: 25°
Wind Resistance: 14m/s
Service Ceiling: 6000m
Propeller: 22*8 inch
Working Voltage: 50.4V
Working Temperature: -10℃-55℃
Carrying Case: 68cm*45cm*35cm

RTF version
Your Purchase Includes
RTF Package 1x ARF Combo
1x Pixhawk Cube Orange Standard Set with Here 3 GNSS
1x H16 remote controller with 10km drone link
1x 14S 14000mAh Li-ion Battery
2x (pair) 22 inch Carbon Fiber Propeller
1x Battery Charger
1x Carrying Case.