Water utilities face an urgent challenge: the demand is increasing, the infrastructure is aging, and extreme weather events are placing unprecedented strain on supply systems. At the same time, leakage losses remain among the largest financial and operational risks. Traditional methods alone are no longer sufficient, and smart pressure management has emerged as essential. By reducing bursts, extending the lifespan of pipes, and optimizing energy use, utilities can strengthen resilience and sustainability while ensuring reliable service for communities.
In its early stages, digital transformation in water utilities centered on sensors, metering, and network connectivity. Today, the focus has shifted to pressure control as a key strategy for reducing Non-Revenue Water, safeguarding critical assets, and building smarter, more adaptive water networks.
How Pressure Control is Changing Water Networks
Pressure control technologies are advancing rapidly, supported by digital tools, automation, and data-driven intelligence. For utilities, the focus is now on simplicity and speed; solutions that deliver measurable leakage reduction while accelerating the “time to impact”.
Low-code and open-source applications are gaining favor with operators, as they enable rapid deployment, flexible adjustments, and cost efficiency. Pressure management no longer stops at the district level; it is now fully integrated across entire water distribution systems. Human operators, engineers, and AI-driven models work together to monitor, predict, and recommend corrective actions before bursts occur.
Digital twins serve a pivotal role. These virtual representations of water networks enable engineers to simulate scenarios, stress-test systems, and optimize zoning strategies in a virtual environment before implementing changes in the field. The growth of secure, utility-wide data spaces ensures that information can be shared across teams, vendors, and regulators, fostering transparency, accountability, and new opportunities for data-driven business models in leakage reduction and asset management.
Continuation of Pressure Management for Leakage Reduction
A new chapter in water network management is unfolding, marked by practical applications and bold innovations. Smart valves automatically adapt to daily and seasonal demand fluctuations, while pressure zones adjust dynamically in real time to reduce pipe strain. Mobile monitoring units and AI models enable proactive detection of weak points, and pressure optimization strategies can extend infrastructure lifespans by decades.
The Water Leakage Summit USA 2026 will spotlight both the advancements and the challenges in this field. The summit brings together global water utilities, network service providers, technology innovators, regulators, and financiers to chart the path forward. The conversation is not only about reducing leakage but also about building resilient, sustainable water networks that can withstand tomorrow’s challenges while delivering value today.
