‘Internet-connected sensors can help reduce water loss’

AMMAN — Placing Internet-connected sensors on the country’s water network can greatly reduce leakage and better detect water thefts, according to Doug Davis, corporate VP and general manager of the Internet of Things Group at Intel Corporation.

Installing such sensors, which would be connected to the Internet and directly linked with water authorities, can help reduce water loss, Davis told The Jordan Times in a recent interview.

“Nowadays, everything is connected to the Internet. These sensors can send real-time data to authorities,” he said.

Through this technology, the authorities can know ahead of time of which parts of the water network require maintenance, which reduces costs and ensures efficiency, Davis added.

Authorities dealt with approximately 20,000 violations on water mains and resources across the Kingdom over the past two years, when a national crackdown on water theft was launched, according to official figures.

Water theft in Jordan is blamed for 70 per cent of water loss, according to the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, which seeks to save an estimated 35-50 million cubic metres of water stolen or wasted via illegal fixtures and the drilling of illegal wells.

In Amman alone, the current water loss stands at around 37 per cent.