Portsmouth Water Adds Fibre Leak Detection

Portsmouth Water will introduce Lightsonic’s fibre-based leak detection technology across parts of its network in December 2026. The system can pinpoint potential leaks to within 10 metres and helps technicians find up to four times more leaks than traditional methods. Through Lightsonic’s partnership with Openreach, it saves more than one million litres of water a day for every 100km of network. Portsmouth Water will use fibre optic cables alongside water pipes as it prepares for winter conditions.

Fibre Network Detection

The technology uses Distributed Acoustic Sensing to turn existing fibre optic cables into a continuous sensing network. It identifies sound patterns created by leaking water, allowing potential leaks to be found and repaired more quickly when colder temperatures put greater pressure on water networks.

Bob Taylor, Chief Executive Officer at Portsmouth Water, said:

“Reducing leakage is a key priority for us, and identifying and repairing leaks as soon as possible is essential to achieving that. This technology will help us detect leaks more quickly, find more leaks across our network and carry out repairs sooner, helping to reduce water loss. We’re excited to be working with Lightsonic and Openreach and look forward to seeing the results.”

Supporting Field Teams

Lightsonic said the deployment will help Portsmouth Water locate leaks faster and improve field-team productivity. The company already has deployments with Affinity Water and Southern Water.

Tommy Langnes, Co-Founder and CEO at Lightsonic, said:

“Water companies are facing a growing challenge from water scarcity, ageing infrastructure and climate pressures to reduce leakage. Using this new technology, Portsmouth Water will be able to locate leaks faster and improve the productivity of its field teams. We’re delighted to be working with Portsmouth Water to bring this technology to more communities across the UK.”

Winter Leakage Plans

Portsmouth Water said the project forms part of continued investment in innovation and technology to reduce leakage. More accurate and timely information on potential leaks can help water companies prioritize repairs, deploy teams more efficiently and make better use of available resources.

Trevor Linney, Director of Network Technology at Openreach, said:

“We're seeing growing interest from water companies in using fibre sensing technology in this way. By combining Lightsonic's technology with Openreach's Full Fibre network, water companies can gain greater visibility of their assets, helping them reduce leakage and manage resources more sustainably. We're pleased to support Portsmouth Water in adopting this new approach.”