Australia’s Water Pipes Get Smarter

Xylem’s smart platform delivers early leak detection and improved response times amid growing climate pressures

7 Jul 2025

Water rarely makes headlines, until it stops flowing. In Australia, where droughts are growing harsher and infrastructure is ageing, utilities are turning to artificial intelligence to stem losses and improve resilience. The early results are promising.

At the centre of the shift is Vue, a platform developed by Xylem, a global water technology firm. It uses real-time sensors and machine learning to detect anomalies in water flow, flagging leaks before they escalate. Instead of dispatching crews in response to complaints or flooded streets, operators can act swiftly, often before a break occurs. One senior official at a large eastern utility says, “We’ve moved beyond reacting. We’re anticipating issues before they surface.”

Utilities trialling the system report double-digit drops in leakage rates and far faster response times. That is a welcome change in a country where water infrastructure is spread thin across vast and often arid regions. The shift from reactive to predictive maintenance could also free up funds for longer-term planning.

The government is playing its part. The National Water Grid Fund, set up to support drought resilience, increasingly backs projects that include digital upgrades. AI platforms offer clearer views of stress points, enabling smarter repair schedules and capital investments.

Still, progress is uneven. Many utilities rely on fragmented, decades-old systems. Upgrading them takes money and people with digital skills, both in short supply. And as more operational data is centralised, cybersecurity concerns are growing.

Nonetheless, the trend is gaining momentum. Industry groups say most large utilities plan to scale up AI use within two years. Training programmes are starting to close the digital skills gap, and partnerships between water authorities and technology firms are expanding.

AI in water management was once a theoretical ambition. Now, it is a daily tool. If Australia can overcome the usual constraints of legacy systems and cautious budgets, smarter infrastructure could help ensure that its taps stay open even as climate pressures rise.