The Water Tech Shake-Up Sweeping Europe

Smartvatten, LeakLook and Diehl Metering accelerate Europe’s shift to digital water systems

8 Dec 2025

Europe’s water sector is moving through one of its most active periods in years, pushed by climate stress, tighter rules and pressure to curb waste. Utilities across the region are racing to update networks with tools that can spot trouble early and give a clearer picture of how water moves through aging systems.

A turning point arrived in early September when Smartvatten bought LeakLook, a company known for its sharp eye on building level leaks across 30 countries. LeakLook tracks more than 40,000 properties, and its tech now folds into Smartvatten’s growing platform. The combined system aims to give utilities a single view of real time use and risk. Analysts see rising demand for earlier alerts, cleaner data and simpler oversight, calling the deal a marker of how quickly digital water management is consolidating.

New hardware is adding momentum. Diehl Metering’s Altair V5 smart meter is designed to gather richer data while talking easily to both older setups and next generation networks. Company leaders say the meter reflects a shift in expectations. Devices must now be tough, accurate and ready for long term digital upgrades. Its launch tracks with stricter European rules that push for lower losses and higher efficiency. The design avoids complex installation and prepares utilities for a future in which only one metric may use the % sign.

These moves hint at a sector in fast transition. Digital tools are helping utilities trim waste, boost resilience and show clearer results to regulators and customers. Questions remain about data security and the difficulty of knitting together different systems, yet the direction feels steady. Many experts expect more collaboration as networks grow smarter and software becomes easier to integrate.

Smartvatten, LeakLook and Diehl Metering sit at the front of this shift. Their combined influence suggests that Europe’s water infrastructure is entering a phase of reinvention. Each new device and platform adds another step toward systems that can adapt to stress, manage risk and deliver a more efficient water future.