Design and Implementation of a Smart System for Detecting Water Leakage with Dual-Level Monitoring

Abstract

Water leaks in homes and businesses and factories can cause a lot of problems. They waste a lot of water. Cost a lot of money to fix. They also damage the infrastructure. Can be very dangerous. This system is a water leak detection system. It uses the internet to detect leaks and turn off the water. The system has two parts. The first part is for monitoring the water. It uses SCADA and Node-RED to watch the water in time. It can also control the water from away and keep track of what happened in the past. The second part is run by a Raspberry Pi. It checks the sensors all the time to see if there is a leak. If it finds a leak it turns off the water away. The system also has a way to control it locally. It will show if something is wrong. If something goes wrong the system will not start again until it is fixed. We tried this system. It worked very well. It found leaks quickly. Turned off the water fast. It is a good system for homes and businesses and factories to use for their water. The system is very good, for managing water in homes and businesses and factories. Water leaks are a problem and this system can help fix them.

Introduction

The text presents a comprehensive overview of a modern water leakage detection system designed for homes, industries, and water distribution networks. It highlights the challenges, current research trends, system architecture, and operational workflow.

Problem Context

• Water leakage causes waste, infrastructure damage, higher costs, and environmental harm.
• Traditional systems are manual, non-automated, or network-dependent, limiting reliability and responsiveness.
• Existing solutions often monitor leaks but cannot control or shut down systems automatically, risking further water loss and damage.

Literature Survey

• Studies show 30–35% of treated water is lost in distribution networks due to leaks.
• Modern approaches use IoT sensors, machine learning, cloud platforms, and SCADA systems to monitor water pipelines.
• Sensor types: flow, pressure, moisture.
• Communication: LoRaWAN, Wi-Fi, GSM.
• Techniques include:
  • AI/ML algorithms (e.g., CNNs, regression models) for leak detection with >95% accuracy.
  • Digital twins for predictive maintenance and infrastructure simulation.
  • SCADA-based monitoring for controlling pumps, valves, and sensors.
• Gaps:
  • Heavy reliance on cloud and ML; real-time local control is limited.
  • Need for systems combining sensor networks, visualization, SCADA, and safety features.

Proposed System Architecture

• Dual-level architecture combining monitoring and field-level control for water pipelines.
• Components:
  1. Sensing Layer: Flow sensors measure inflow/outflow.
  2. Edge Processing Layer: Raspberry Pi collects and processes sensor data in real-time.
  3. Communication Layer: MQTT protocol sends data to dashboards and control systems.
  4. Control Valve: Regulates water flow and shuts off supply during leaks.
  5. Monitoring Dashboard: Node-RED visualizes real-time data, anomalies, alerts, and historical trends.

Leak Detection Algorithm

• Compares flow rates at two points in the pipeline.
• If the difference exceeds a threshold, the system flags a potential leak.
• Sends alerts to operators for timely response, minimizing water loss.

Hardware Implementation

• Flow Sensors: Measure pipeline flow continuously.
• Raspberry Pi Controller: Processes data, runs leak detection algorithm, communicates with dashboard.
• Control Valve: Automatically stops water flow if leaks are detected.
• Network Connectivity: Wi-Fi/Ethernet enables communication with MQTT broker and SCADA systems.

System Operation Workflow

1. Startup: All sensors, controllers, valves, and dashboards initialize.
2. Monitoring: Sensors continuously track water flow.
3. Data Processing: Raspberry Pi calculates flow differences.
4. Leak Detection Decision: Triggers if flow discrepancy exceeds threshold.
5. Emergency Response: Activates safety interlock, shuts pumps, alerts operators.
6. Safety Lock State: Prevents accidental restart until leak is fixed.
7. Reset Operation: Operators reset system post-repair.
8. Normal Operation Loop: Continuous monitoring resumes if no leaks detected.
9. IoT Communication: Data transmitted and visualized via Node-RED and MQTT.

Key Advantages

• Real-time detection and control, minimizing water waste.
• Dual-level control (remote monitoring + field-level action).
• Scalable, safe, and flexible system architecture.
• Integrates IoT, ML algorithms, and dashboards for effective water management.

Conclusion

This research is about a system that finds water leaks in pipes. It has two levels of control to make sure the water system is safe and reliable. The system uses sensors to check the water flow in time and a computer to control everything. It uses two flow sensors placed at locations in the pipeline to monitor water flow rates. The sensors keep an eye on the water flow. They send this information to a Raspberry Pi computer. If there is a leak between the sensors the Raspberry Pi computer figures it out because the water flow rates, from the sensors do not match. The system uses a tool called Node-RED to keep an eye on things. It helps make sense of them. Node-RED is really useful for Internet of Things projects. The system has a dashboard that shows what is happening now.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Dr. Badri Narayan Mohopatra, Mr. Pradeep Palkar, Mr. Siddhant More, Ms. Shreya Kad, Mr. Shashank Kadam . This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.