{"id":600879,"date":"2023-12-12T18:07:10","date_gmt":"2023-12-12T15:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-this-startup-battles-water-waste-with-leak-detection-algorithms\/"},"modified":"2023-12-12T18:07:10","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T15:07:10","slug":"how-this-startup-battles-water-waste-with-leak-detection-algorithms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-this-startup-battles-water-waste-with-leak-detection-algorithms\/","title":{"rendered":"#How this startup battles water waste with leak-detection algorithms"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af2e53361e82\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af2e53361e82\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-this-startup-battles-water-waste-with-leak-detection-algorithms\/#Improving_leak_detection_accuracy\" >Improving leak detection accuracy<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-this-startup-battles-water-waste-with-leak-detection-algorithms\/#Expanding_water_loss_tech_to_the_world\" >Expanding water loss tech to the world<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-this-startup-battles-water-waste-with-leak-detection-algorithms\/#Sensor_quality_matters\" >Sensor quality matters<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-this-startup-battles-water-waste-with-leak-detection-algorithms\/#The_increasing_threat_of_water_scarcity\" >The increasing threat of water scarcity<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div id=\"article-main-content\">\n                            <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We are probably all guilty of using too much water. However, most water wastage h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ens prior to the precious resource entering our homes. That is because national pipe networks are riddled with leaks \u2014 and water scarcity is a growing global problem. Could AI be part of the solution?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For instance, the UK wastes more than three billion litres of perfectly good quality drinking water every day. Meanwhile, Italy and its ageing water infrastructure loses 42% of drinking water yearly. Globally, daily water loss is estimated to be 45 billion litres.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HULO.ai, a startup from Leuwarden, the Netherlands, is looking to reduce water loss by connecting smart sensors with its advanced AI algorithm. Essentially, the cloud-based solution can optimise sensor positioning and detect and localise water leakages within water distribution networks in real-time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf a leak is not being detected in real-time, it could be there for a long time, so you lose a lot of water. That\u2019s one part,\u201d Robbert Lodewijks, HULO.ai\u2019s co-founder and CEO, tells TNW.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper latest channel-cta hs-embed-tnw\">\n<div id=\"hs-embed-tnw\" class=\"channel-cta-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"channel-cta-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/events.tnw\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"\/><\/div>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/events.tnw\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<div class=\"channel-cta-input\">\n<p class=\"channel-cta-title\">The &lt;3 of EU tech<\/p>\n<p class=\"channel-cta-tagline\">The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol&#8217; founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It&#8217;s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAnother part is that sometimes when a leak is happening, and you cannot find it soon, the damage that the leak can do gets bigger over time,\u201d he continues, referring to potential sinkholes, railways washing away, or hospitals being flooded \u2014 to the detriment of both finances and reputation of water utility providers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Improving_leak_detection_accuracy\"><\/span>Improving leak detection accuracy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Essentially, the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> minimises the need for extensive physical infrastructure checks. Normally, the understanding and control of pressure, flow, and leakage throughout a water distribution system is done through what are known as DMAs (District Meter Areas). By utilising an approach of closing certain valves and setting up flowmeters, the utilities\u2019 company can determine how much water is lost before it reaches the consumer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While water can also get \u201clost\u201d due to non-metered consumption, fire hydrants, or metre inaccuracies, approximately 90% of all water loss comes from leaks. HULO.ai\u2019s technology narrows down the highest potential area of a leak without the need for a DMA.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIn a network of around 20 x 10 kilometres, we could narrow it down to areas of 250 square metres, where we could say \u2018Hey, this area of 250 metres is where the leak is happening,\u201d Lodewijks says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Additionally, HULO.ai says it can tailor its solutions to the specific client and their needs.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Expanding_water_loss_tech_to_the_world\"><\/span>Expanding water loss tech to the world<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The startup \u2014 a spin-out from the Wetsus <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sustainable water technology <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">research institute \u2014 just raised \u20ac800,000 from VC firm LUMO Labs and the Netherlands Enabling Water Technology (NEW) Fund. The money will go towards enhancing the company\u2019s cloud-based solution and making it highly scalable and adaptable to different market needs around the world, including those were water scarcity is the most critical.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe growing global demand for sustainable water management solutions is as urgent as it is important,\u201d Andy L\u00fcrling, Founding Partner of LUMO Labs commented. \u201cWe are drawn by HULO.ai\u2019s potential to lead and transform the water management industry on a global scale with its cutting-edge AI technology.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1402258 size-full js-lazy\" alt=\"Screen shot of Hulo.ai AI solutions for combatting water waste\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/12\/231126_HULO_Picture_Platform.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/12\/231126_HULO_Picture_Platform.png 1280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/12\/231126_HULO_Picture_Platform-280x158.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/12\/231126_HULO_Picture_Platform-240x135.png 240w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/12\/231126_HULO_Picture_Platform-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/12\/231126_HULO_Picture_Platform-796x448.png 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/12\/231126_HULO_Picture_Platform-1200x675.png 1200w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fdeep-tech%2F2023%2F12%2F12%2Fhulo-ai-fighting-water-loss-leak-detection-algorithm%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: HULO.ai just secured funding to expand its leak detection tech to more markets. Credit: HULO.ai\" data-title=\"Share HULO.ai just secured funding to expand its leak detection tech to more markets. Credit: HULO.ai on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share HULO.ai just secured funding to expand its leak detection tech to more markets. Credit: HULO.ai on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>HULO.ai just secured funding to expand its leak detection tech to more markets. Credit: HULO.ai<\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1402258 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/12\/231126_HULO_Picture_Platform.png\" alt=\"Screen shot of Hulo.ai AI solutions for combatting water waste\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/12\/231126_HULO_Picture_Platform.png 1280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/12\/231126_HULO_Picture_Platform-280x158.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/12\/231126_HULO_Picture_Platform-240x135.png 240w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/12\/231126_HULO_Picture_Platform-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/12\/231126_HULO_Picture_Platform-796x448.png 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/12\/231126_HULO_Picture_Platform-1200x675.png 1200w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the recent water shortage situations in Cape Town and Mexico City may have drawn significant <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> attention, the truth is that the water crisis is rapidly escalating across the entire globe. Between two and three billion people worldwide already experience water shortages. This situation is set to worsen significantly over the coming decades \u2014 especially in cities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sensor_quality_matters\"><\/span>Sensor quality matters<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The arrival of smart sensors has the potential to drastically reduce both individual water consumption and collective waste. The HULO.ai algorithm is sensor agnostic, meaning it works with any pressure and flow sensor, and as such is not dependent on access to any one supplier.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, that also means that the speed with which the algorithm can respond will depend on the quality of the sensor. \u201cSome utilities have sensors that send a measurement every second and some have data every minute or every 15 minutes,\u201d Lodewijks adds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAnd that also determines how quickly you can react to a leak. So if we have data that comes in every minute, we can tell you if a leak occurred in the last minute. If there\u2019s data every 15 minutes then, naturally, the time period is longer.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_increasing_threat_of_water_scarcity\"><\/span>The increasing threat of water scarcity<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unwater.org\/publications\/un-world-water-development-report\">UN World Water Development Report<\/a> from this year, UNESCO and UN Water warn that the global urban population facing water scarcity is projected to double from 930 million in 2016 to 1.7-2.4 billion people in 2050. That is, unless we effectively deploy water saving technology and large-scale international cooperation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With greater water scarcity looming on the horizon for future generations, every drop literally counts. Conceptualised over a number of Friday drinks while its founders worked for another company detecting failure mechanisms of pipelines, HULO.ai\u2019s raison d\u2019etre is quite clear. Lodewijks states:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cQuite soon, we realised that actually our goal is to be 60 years old and say to our children that this technology, our algorithms, have helped water utilities all over the world, and we reach places where battling water scarcity is really a big problem. And then, the adventure is already a big success.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\n                        <\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/hulo-ai-fighting-water-loss-leak-detection-algorithm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We are probably all guilty of using too much water. However, most water wastage happens prior to the precious resource entering our homes. That is because national pipe networks are riddled with leaks \u2014 and water scarcity is a growing global problem. Could AI be part of the solution? For instance, the UK wastes more&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":600880,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw-blurple?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/12\/231128_HULO_Picture_SwimmingPool.jpeg&signature=eafa47ed64608b68a4e73d582ca3539b","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-600879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/600879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=600879"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/600879\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/600880"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=600879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=600879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=600879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}