Watercare targets I&I and prevents overflows with smart sewer monitors
Auckland’s largest water utility is rolling out 5,000 smart sewer level monitors to detect inflow and infiltration (I&I), prevent overflows, and target investment where it matters most.
The Need
Watercare is New Zealand’s largest water utility, delivering water and wastewater services to over 1.7 million people across Auckland. The wastewater network faces increasing pressure from ageing infrastructure, flood-prone areas and growing environmental expectations.
Previously, visibility into network performance relied on partial SCADA data, flow surveys, or modelling assumptions, making it difficult to pinpoint I&I or identify small issues before they became major overflows. Without targeted insight, rehabilitation spend risked being scattered rather than focused on the assets in greatest need.
Sensors deployed across Auckland's wastewater network
Data logging frequent, with adaptive sampling anomalies
The Solution
Watercare adopted a Data-as-a-Service model, partnering with Kallipr for hardware and deployment, and Citycare as the installation partner.
The project involves installing 5,000 Kallipr Spectra radar sensors across priority sites, including flood-prone catchments. Each device captures sewer level data every 15 minutes and uses edge-based logic to adapt sampling when abnormal patterns are detected, ensuring critical events are reported in near real time.
Key features:
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Dual SIM LTE (NB-IoT and Cat-M1) for resilient underground connectivity
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On-board smarts to filter false positives and reduce cloud reliance
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Managed via Kallipr Kloud Fleet for secure, centralised fleet control and over-the-air updates
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Consistent deployment with Citycare ensuring rapid rollout and serviceability
The sensors provide asset-level intelligence, allowing Watercare to target I&I investigations, prioritise rehabilitation spend, and manage environmental risks more proactively.
“We’re getting real insight into how our network behaves in the field, not just in models. It’s helping us respond faster, target our investment, and give our teams the clarity they need to act.”
– Dave Moore, Smart Systems Manager at Watercare
The Results:
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Real-time I&I detection enabling targeted rehabilitation
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Reduced cloud and comms costs through edge processing
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Lower false alarm rates improving operational efficiency
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Faster, data-led decision-making across planning and maintenance teams
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