Smarter Leak Detection with SCADA: Setting the Right Alert Frequency

Real-time alarms are highly effective for detecting sudden, high-flow pipe failures - the kind that flood streets and trigger community calls.

In these situations, operators can easily confirm a spike in flow and confidently dispatch a crew.

But when it comes to small, persistent leaks a different strategy is needed.

Real-time alerts often create more noise than value - triggering false alarms and unnecessary site visits.

Why? Because SCADA data often lacks the resolution or window length needed to see the subtle “leak signature” of low-flow events.

For example, a new 1 L/s leak can blend into typical night flow patterns – invisible to daily monitoring.

So, what’s the better strategy?

Zoom Out and Interrogate Weekly Minimum Night Flows

A broader weekly view filters out the noise and improves water loss decision-making.

Tracking night flows on a weekly basis is more sustainable and practical for most utilities.

Understand Seasonal Trends Before Raising the Alarm

Historical SCADA data shows that night flow baselines usually vary with the seasons.

Winter typically presents the lowest flows - offering a valuable reference point.

Understanding these seasonal trends helps avoid false alarms - saving time, reducing wasted site visits, and improving confidence in alerts.

Daily minimum night flows with max daily temperature show clear seasonal trends that can refine leak detection thresholds

Weekly Night Flow Analytics

In alert-heavy environments, weekly updates strike the right balance.

Non-Revenue Water teams receive a weekly update highlighting how night flows are tracking in their DMAs.  

Yes, weekly updates do mean a leak - say 1 L/s - might remain undetected for a few extra days.

But the water loss is minor and far outweighed by the improved detection gained through better signal clarity.

It’s a small price to pay for reducing false positives and improving team trust in the data.

SCADA Still Matters

Acoustic sensors and high-frequency IoT leak detection tools are a great technology - and we support them.

SensorClean offers API integrations to automate access to your water loss data.

But SCADA remains the most widely available, cost-effective foundation for water loss detection.

It’s already deployed and collecting data.

And with the right analytics, it has a lot more to offer.

Smarter Leak Detection Starts with SCADA Data

Want to detect leakage more effectively using the data you already collect?

Our data mining service transforms raw SCADA data into clear, actionable insights.

Let’s talk about how we can support your network.