Smart Metering and Leak Detection
Detection of 1,000 m³ of water leaks within two months
Project overview
Client: Zoetis, Animal Health Company
Location: Belgium
Industry: Pharmaceutical
Key results
Leak identified and resolved
An undetected leak running at 17 m³ per hour, the equivalent of a full Olympic swimming pool every month, was located and addressed.
Real-time visibility across the site
Twelve strategic metering points now feed live consumption data into a centralised monitoring platform, replacing entirely manual readings.
1,000 m³ of leaks detected within two months
The smart monitoring platform flagged abnormal consumption patterns almost immediately after installation, enabling rapid intervention.
The Challenge
Water disappearing by the hour, with no way of knowing where or when.
Zoetis is the world's leading animal health company, developing medicines, vaccines and diagnostics to care for both pets and livestock across more than 100 countries. Like many pharmaceutical manufacturing sites, the Belgian facility relies on large volumes of water at multiple stages of its processes, from softened water distribution to general site operations.
The problem was twofold. First, a significant leak had gone undetected somewhere on site, quietly wasting 17 m³ of water every single hour. Second, the facility had no automated way of tracking water consumption: readings were taken manually, meter by meter, making it virtually impossible to spot anomalies quickly or build a clear picture of where water was being used and wasted.
Of the 12 key points in the process where consumption data was needed, 9 had no meters at all. Two of the three existing meters required replacement. On top of this, the softened water distribution collector, known as the BTO collector, was itself leaking, in a poor state, and positioned in a location that made maintenance difficult.
Zoetis needed a system that would give them accurate, real-time visibility of water use across the whole site and the ability to detect leaks automatically, before they became costly or compliance issues.
What Revalio Delivered
Revalio designed and delivered a complete smart metering system, combining physical meter installation with an intelligent digital monitoring platform.
Meter supply and installation: Eleven new meters were installed across the 12 identified measurement points, using three proven meter types selected to match the pipe sizes and installation conditions at each location: the Diehl Altair V4 for smaller diameters, the Diehl Aquila V5 for mid-range flanged connections, and the DH Metering DHM1400 for vertical threaded installations. All meters were fitted with isolation and check valves to protect the equipment and simplify future maintenance.
Smart dataloggers: Each meter was paired with a Poly4 datalogger from a Belgian company Shayp. Battery-powered with a ten-year lifespan and connected via Narrowband IoT, these compact devices transmit high-resolution consumption data continuously without requiring any wiring or power supply on site. The Poly4 is a mature, field-tested technology deployed over 8,000 times by utilities and industrial clients across Europe.
Monitoring platform and leak detection: Data from all loggers feeds into Shayp's 2ZERO platform, which uses artificial intelligence to analyse consumption patterns and automatically flag anomalies. No manual configuration is required: the system learns what normal looks like and raises an alarm, by SMS or e-mail, whenever something unusual is detected. Revalio handled full setup and configuration of the dashboard and provided hands-on training for the operators.
BTO collector replacement: The leaking softened water distribution collector was replaced and relocated to a more accessible position, coordinated to coincide with the softener replacement already planned by Zoetis. To respect the tight maintenance window over the Christmas break, Revalio pre-assembled and pressure-tested the new collector off-site in advance, keeping the on-site interruption to a single day.
How the Solution Works
The system works on a straightforward principle: measure everything, continuously, and let the software do the watching.
Each Poly4 datalogger reads the pulse output from its meter every few minutes and transmits that data over the mobile network to the 2ZERO platform. The platform builds a consumption profile for each point on the network and, using AI, learns to distinguish normal variation from genuine anomalies such as a leak running overnight or an unexpected spike during a weekend shutdown.
When something looks wrong, the system sends an automatic alert. Rather than waiting for the next manual round or the end-of-month water bill, the team receives a notification within hours, with enough information to pinpoint which meter has detected the issue and investigate immediately.
The dashboard gives a clear overview of consumption at every point, with historical trends and the ability to export data for reporting or audits. For a pharmaceutical site where water use is both operationally critical and subject to regulatory scrutiny, this level of transparency is a significant step forward.
Results
✓ A leak of 17 m³ per hour, equivalent to one Olympic swimming pool per month, identified and resolved.
✓ Over 1,000 m³ of water leaks detected within the first two months of operation.
✓ Twelve metering points now monitored in real time, replacing manual readings entirely.
✓ Automatic leak alerts by SMS and e-mail, enabling rapid response before losses escalate.
✓ BTO collector replaced and relocated within a single-day shutdown window over the Christmas period, with zero disruption to operations.
✓ Operators trained and fully autonomous on the 2ZERO platform from day one.
Need visibility for your water consumption?
Whether water is disappearing through an undetected leak or simply being used inefficiently across a complex site, the first step is always visibility. Revalio combines the right metering hardware with intelligent monitoring software to give you a clear, real-time picture of your water use, and the tools to act on it quickly.
Talk to our experts about smart metering for your site.