WINT: LTE-Enabled Water Leak Prevention and Damage Control 

Imagine wasting over 66,000 gallons of water each day and not realizing it. That was the case at Azrieli Center, a two-million-square-foot office and retail complex in Tel Aviv, Israel. That waste costs hundreds of thousands of dollars annually for the complex’s owners.  

That’s just for the water itself. Over time, leaks also frequently cause structural damage that’s expensive to repair. It also results in mold, a major cause of the “sick building syndrome.” By one estimate, 20-40% of buildings in Northern Europe and North America have visible fungal growth.

Detect and Stop Leaks in Real Time

To help building owners and other businesses avoid those problems, WINT developed its eponymous Water Intelligence Technology. This solution uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect leaks in real time. By analyzing usage, the AI can detect abnormalities that indicate a leak. Then, it can alert maintenance staff or even automatically shut off the water. 

At Azrieli Center, WINT quickly detected irregularities in the cooling towers due to a mechanical fault. Now the complex is saving 25 million gallons annually — prompting Azrieli’s owner to install WINT at all its other properties.  

Tidhar Construction is another success story. At the beginning of a project, it installs WINT sensors on the water mains. It adds more sensors on each new floor or building as construction progresses. WINT uses cellular, so Tidhar can use the technology without waiting for a project’s network infrastructure to be built. 

WINT also adds value to Tidhar projects. For example, a new building’s owner has peace of mind because the probability of water damage is high in the first year after construction ends.  

Tidhar has deployed WINT at over 40 projects so far. The technology has successfully detected issues such as: 

• A defective fitting  
• A broken hose 
• A tap mistakenly left open  
• Shut off water with flow rates ranging from 400 to 2,000 liters per hour 

WINT also gives building owners insights into using water efficiently to meet sustainability goals and environmental regulations. The company estimates that it helps customers reduce consumption by about 25%.  

Telit Cinterion Modules

Telit Cinterion’s cellular LPWA modules provide LTE connectivity, with downlink and uplink speeds of 300 kbps. It’s designed for IoT applications that require ultralow power consumption, affordability and reliable connectivity.  

For example, these modules support LTE Cat M1/NB1 under 3GPP Release (Rel) 13. This standard provides enhanced coverage, with up to +15 dB/+20 dB in maximum coupling loss compared to other cellular technologies. This capability ensures reliable connections with IoT devices even when deep inside buildings or underground utility vaults, such as with water infrastructure.  

These modules are preprovisioned with OneEdge and are tested and network certified. They’re ready to connect to the cloud upon activation. 

IoT Device and Connectivity Management

OneEdge, powered by Telit Cinterion, simplifies device and connectivity management for IoT deployments and solutions. These capabilities are valuable for large-scale deployments — such as those in multilevel office and retail complex locations. OneEdge provides a unified, dashboard-style view of hundreds or thousands of devices. OneEdge also lays the foundation for WINT to migrate to 5G. 

Connectivity Solutions

Telit Cinterion’s IoT connectivity includes a simplified service for managing and monitoring all their devices and SIMs. Key capabilities include activating/deactivating devices, analyzing connection quality, monitoring data usage and more. 

OPTIMUS, powered by Telit Cinterion, uses AI to analyze each device’s data usage. Then, it automatically matches it with the most cost-efficient plan for the next billing cycle. OPTIMUS eliminates bill shock, overpayments and the time and expense of manual analysis. 

“Water is our business. We are passionate about helping the world conserve this precious resource. WINT provides its customers with a cutting-edge solution to effectively manage water, reduce consumption and prevent damage.” 

— Yaron Dycian, Chief Product and Strategy Officer, WINT