504 Intelligent Water Management: Catching Leaks Before the Next Bill with David Benaiges

Intelligent water management starts with a question a utility bill cannot answer: what is happening inside the building right now? David Benaiges, Vice President of Intelligent Water Solutions at Watts Water Technologies, joins Trace Blackmore, CWT, to explain how flow, leak, temperature, and pressure data can help teams investigate abnormal usage and prioritize their response.

Look Beyond the Monthly Bill

A higher bill can signal a problem without identifying its cause. David explains why ongoing flow monitoring provides a more useful view of changing water-use patterns, including underground leaks that may remain out of sight.

Trace supplies a practical example: a failed cooling tower makeup valve caused an overflow at a client's site. Because the controller was monitoring the system, his team caught the problem the same day.

Match the Monitoring to the Risk

David describes an approach that can expand from the main meter to individual building areas and specific equipment. Main-meter flow data establishes a broad usage profile; additional meters and leak sensors provide more detail near kitchens, washing machines, ice makers, or other areas of concern.

The appropriate combination depends on the building's risk and the value of exposed equipment. He also explains how automatic shutoff or a manually activated remote valve can add another layer of protection when someone cannot reach the site quickly.

Turn Sensor Data into Priorities

AI can help distinguish unusual consumption from recurring patterns, such as a regular event that increases demand. However, David emphasizes the continuing role of people who understand water systems in interpreting anomalies and helping facilities teams decide where to investigate.

Temperature readings across domestic hot water systems and pressure measurements extend that visibility beyond consumption. These measurements can help teams assess whether systems are operating as designed and investigate issues such as incorrect mixing.

Evaluate Security and Insurance Alongside Performance

For connected systems, David describes Nexa's network architecture and access controls for functions such as changing a mixing-station setpoint. His explanation gives building teams specific questions to raise about monitoring, control, and system access.