Insights From Solinas
By Sai Thulasi, Team Solinas
It’s a system that helps us find leaks before they grow into costly problems.
The Water Beneath Our Feet
Turn on a tap and water pours out. It feels effortless, but behind that simple act is a hidden network of pipes running below our roads and buildings. These pipelines carry treated water around the clock. Like any infrastructure, though, they wear out. Cracks appear, joints loosen, and leaks develop. Because they’re underground, they often stay invisible for years.
The Hidden Loss
An underground leak is nothing like the drip of a kitchen faucet. There are no puddles, no sound of running water. The loss is silent. Clean, treated water just seeps into the ground. Cities lose thousands of litres every day this way, water that could have gone to homes, schools, or hospitals.
Utilities lose too. They can’t bill for water that never arrives. Experts call this Non-Revenue Water (NRW), the gap between what’s produced and what’s actually delivered. In many Indian cities, NRW touches 30–40%. That means one out of three litres never reaches the tap. Imagine the impact if even part of that waste were recovered.
Finding What You Can’t See
Detecting leaks underground has always been a challenge. For decades, the approach was crude: dig up a road, make a guess, or wait until a pipe burst forced repairs. That meant wasted time, wasted money, and frustrated citizens.
Modern leak detection systems change the game. They act like sensitive ears pressed to the ground, picking up small changes, pressure drops, odd vibrations, or unusual sounds. With this data, utilities can pinpoint the leak’s location and repair only where needed, instead of tearing up entire streets.
A Shift in How Repairs Happen
For years, maintenance was reactive. Fixes began only after disasters, sinkholes, sudden floods, and collapsed roads. By then, huge amounts of water were already gone. That old way no longer works in today’s cities, where demand is high and every litre counts.
Leak detection allows utilities to work differently. Small leaks and weak spots can be identified early, turning emergency repairs into preventive action. The benefits ripple outward: less wasted water, lower repair costs, safer conditions for sanitation workers, and fewer disruptions to daily life.
Clear Solutions for Hidden Problems
Leaks might be invisible, but their impact is clear. With NRW sometimes hitting 40%, the waste is staggering. And with climate change and rising demand, it’s a cost we can’t afford.
The solution, though, is already in hand. By adopting advanced leak detection systems, cities can save water, bring NRW down, and make sure more of what is treated actually reaches people. Every litre saved strengthens future water security.
Leaks may be silent, but the answer is simple: find them early, fix them fast, and value every drop.