The health of the UK's critical wastewater infrastructure underpins the service reliability and environmental performance of the essential service. Buried deep underground, pressurised pipes called "rising mains" are silently transporting sewage. While these may make up only a few per cent of the total wastewater network by length, their failure can have major impacts. Each burst can unleash environmental pollution, interrupt customer service, flood properties, and endanger public health. 

The stark reality? These mains have disproportionately high impacts on service and environmental performance. For water companies, this means not only major reputational damage but also repair and clean-up costs and regulatory action with very significant penalties. The current approach of reacting after a disaster is no longer sustainable. 

The Challenge: Predicting the Unpredictable 

How do you predict the failure of a pipe you can't see? Rising mains are difficult to monitor and directly inspect. Traditional risk-based methods rely on age and material, and may not effectively account for the unique stresses and operational and environmental factors each pipe endures. Physical inspections are difficult, risky, often causing more harm than good, and emergency repairs, especially for pipes under roads or railways, can be very disruptive and costly. 

The water sector is stepping up, with more extensive pressure monitoring across critical mains. This is a positive step, but it's still reactive. Once abnormal pressure is detected, the clock is ticking, and there's limited time to prevent a burst. We need to get ahead of the problem. 

The Breakthrough: Physics-Informed Predictive Intervention 

This is where Artificial Intelligence (AI) comes in, but with a crucial twist. Standard AI models struggle with rare events and incomplete data. There is typically insufficient data to apply Machine Learning to rising main failure prediction. 

PIAI enhances machine learning by embedding it with the fundamental laws of physics. It doesn't just look at historical data; it understands the 'why' behind pipe failures—the corrosion, the pressure dynamics, the soil conditions. This allows it to efficiently find the faint signals in a complex system, predicting failures faster, more accurately, and with far less data. 

We are pioneering a rigorous new technique that can forecast failure risk months-years beyond conventional indicators. This is a practical solution to a multi-million-pound problem. 

We enable a proactive, predictive strategy to derisk underground assets 

By harnessing the power of KartaSoft technology, we can transform the UK's approach to asset management. Our solution delivers: 

• A proven predictive model: An accurate PIAI tool that identifies the highest risk rising mains, enabling targeted, proactive interventions – results are validated using blind-testing. 

• Actionable insights: Get a clear picture of asset health, empowering water companies to make smarter, science-driven decisions. 

• Smarter investment: Optimising billions in maintenance and renewal expenditure by focusing on the pipes that need it most, ensuring customer money delivers maximum impact. 

• Enhanced collaboration: Fostering sector-wide open data sharing to build a collective intelligence against infrastructure failure. 

The Impact: Beyond the Pipes 

The benefits extend far beyond the effective pipeline maintenance: 

• For Customers: Fewer service disruptions, protection from sewage spills, and safer recreational water spaces. It means peace of mind and greater trust in our essential services. 

• For the Environment: A dramatic reduction in pollution incidents, preserving our precious rivers, ecosystems, and biodiversity for future generations. 

KartaSoft has a track record of successful delivery for major infrastructure managers, including Fortune 500 energy companies, government agencies and utilities. Importantly, we are able to 'lift and shift' the same solution to Water operators in the UK. This scalable approach, transferable to other critical assets, will strengthen resilience, enhance safety, and ensure the long-term sustainability of our vital infrastructure. 

We are moving from a state of costly reaction to one of intelligent prevention. It's time to stop waiting for disasters to happen and start predicting them. 

What are your thoughts on using advanced physics-informed technology to safeguard our critical infrastructure? Join the conversation below.