Canada’s infrastructure is aging and in poor condition. In 2020, Statistics Canada found that among municipal water infrastructure assets nationwide, 1 out of every 10 kilometres of transmission pipes had “an unknown physical condition, while roughly the same proportion was in either poor or very poor condition.”

In Canada, water treatment is a particularly energy-intensive process, consuming 38% of municipal energy. However, this efficiency gap widens further with aging infrastructure. These losses translate into both financial costs and increased GHG emissions. Water utilities across Canada experience an average of 13% system water loss before reaching consumers due in large part to leakage, with some estimates ranging from 10-40%.

Implementing leakage interventions within water infrastructure through the adoption of digital technologies can play a key role in helping municipalities reduce water loss and costs. This report outlines an example digital leak detection solution that, when implemented in municipal water networks, can achieve an investment payback in as little as 2 months.