FIDO Direct launched as end-to-end solution to solve water loss

A game-changing solution combining everything water utilities need to solve water leakage has been launched by UK company FIDO Tech.

Called FIDO Direct, the end-to-end solution combines AI, hardware and on-the-ground expertise needed to identify water leaks with guaranteed reductions.

The offering is underpinned by FIDO AI, one of the most sophisticated AI solutions with the unique distinction of being able to identify leaks and, most importantly, rank them by size, even in the noisiest networks, and regardless of pipe material or condition.
FIDO has already seen multiple successes across the UK. The company partnered with Northumbrian Water to achieve a 37% leakage reduction across 15 assigned district metering areas (DMAs). The utility set itself the target to reduce leakage across its network by 17.% by 2025.

FIDO Direct was deployed to sweep vast areas of the network quickly and accurately, allowing the utility to target and prioritise leaks by size using FIDO’s AI leak sizing capabilities.

Victoria Edwards, Founder & CEO, said: “It is unacceptable that we continue to lose huge quantities of water while many parts of the world are facing water scarcity. We don’t just plan to be part of the AI revolution in water. We will lead it.

“FIDO Direct is a fully serviced, end-to-end leak detection service that utilities can call on for a fixed fee, guaranteed results and no drain on their own hard-pressed manpower.”

Estimates from the World Bank suggest that up to 30% of water is lost daily in networks due to leaks and theft. In developing nations, roughly 45 million cubic metres of water are lost daily, worth over $3 billion per year. Across England and Wales alone, it’s estimated that around three billion litres of water are lost daily.

Solving water losses is one way to increase water availability across watersheds. For example, a regional blueprint produced by Water Resources South East (WRSE) recommended that 70 per cent of the additional water required for the area between 2025 and 2035 can be generated through leakage reduction and a lowering of consumption.

FIDO Tech is one of the successful companies to emerge from the 2019 United Utilities Innovation Lab, a programme that enables successful applicants the opportunity to test their solutions in a live environment.

In September 2022, FIDO Tech announced a multi-million-pound acquisition by SKion Water GmH and a follow-on investment led by Emerald Technology Ventures to accelerate the growth of its disruptive AI-backed water solution.