Openreach partners with Affinity Water and Lightsonic for fiber-optic leak detection trials

Openreach, the UK telecom network operator responsible for building and maintaining the UK's digital network infrastructure, is repurposing its extensive fiber infrastructure for an unexpected utility: water leak detection. Working with Affinity Water and Lightsonic, the successful trial converts existing fiber optic cables into acoustic sensors to pinpoint leaks. This innovative use of Lightsonic's Distributed Acoustic Sensing technology has already prevented the loss of two megaliters of water for Affinity Water in just three months. It's a compelling demonstration of how existing digital infrastructure can tackle critical challenges like water conservation across the UK.