The High-Tech Hunt for Dublin's Hidden Water

Dublin tests Al leak detection to curb huge water losses and set a European standard

16 Apr 2025

Dublin is trying a novel fix for an old problem: water that never reaches the tap. Uisce Éireann, Ireland's national utility, has begun testing artificial intelligence and in-pipe sensors to spot leaks in the city's largest mains. Ireland suffers some of Europe's worst leakage rates, with nearly a third of treated water vanishing before use, making the project both experimental and urgent.

The technology comes from Aganova, a specialist in acoustic detection, with support from SUEZ, an infrastructure firm. Devices will move through 40km of pipes, listening for the faint sounds of water seeping out. Al tools will sift the signals to locate weaknesses before they turn into ruptures. Microsoft is lending backing through its global water-replenishment scheme, seeing the work as proof that corporate pledges can align with public needs.

Traditional leak-hunting relies on digging, shutting down lines and educated guesswork, slow and costly methods. Dublin's approach aims to shift utilities from reacting to failures to anticipating them. "Rapid detection and repair in transmission mains brings immediate gains, from saving water to lowering energy use and emissions," notes a SUEZ executive.

The effort comes as Brussels leans in the same direction. The EU's new Water Resilience Strategy puts leak reduction and digital monitoring at its core, hinting at future policy support for utilities that adopt such methods. If Dublin succeeds, others may follow.

Obstacles remain. Advanced inspections cost money, and utilities must adapt to digital systems unfamiliar to many operators. But the logic is clear: preventing leaks saves not just water but also the energy needed to treat and pump it. For Ireland, where shortages loom despite abundant rainfall, that matters.

Dublin's trial is more than a local repair job. It signals that technology for large-scale leak detection is ready and that partnerships across sectors can unlock it. If replicated, Europe's pipes may one day lose far less of what flows through them.