Veolia and Sewerin have developed an innovative solution to reduce losses in networks and protect water resources.
- A unique industrial partnership around a new generation acoustic sensor that is more efficient and sensitive to meet the new requirements for leak detection in drinking water networks and in the face of increasing droughts linked to climate change.
- A new sensor extends the range of solutions currently offered by Veolia to combat leaks in drinking water networks.
- A tool that is already being used in the Hauts-de-France region in collaboration with the metropolis of Lille and in the Île-de-France region in collaboration with the Syndicat des Eaux d'Ile-de-France (SEDIF) and has detected more than 600 leaks since June 2025.
"Every year, nearly 937 million m³ of drinking water is lost in French networks, which is equivalent to 1 in 5 litres1. Faced with this major challenge and in a context of increasing scarcity of water resources, Veolia, world leader in water management, and Sewerin, European specialist in acoustic detection, are pooling their expertise to develop a new innovative tool to reduce water losses in municipal networks.
This new acoustic sensor, the SePem® 361, is the result of two years of research and development and makes it possible to detect leaks on the same day and take targeted measures to reduce water losses quickly and significantly. Its corrosion-resistant housing and maintenance-free service life of 12 years also enable a durable and sustainable installation that is currently unrivalled on the market.
It is being used in the Hauts-de-France region in collaboration with the Métropole Européenne de Lille, where the installation of a network of 5,000 sensors was completed in June 2025, and in the Île-de-France region in collaboration with the SEDIF, where 11,000 sensors are currently being installed. This new innovative tool demonstrates Veolia's desire to act more than ever as a trusted partner of local authorities in the fight against drinking water leaks and to protect the resource. It complements the range of innovative solutions currently deployed with hundreds of the Group's partner municipalities in France: acoustic sensors, AI (Leak Tracker (TM)), trace gas, camera robots and sniffer dogs. For each situation and according to the specificities of the network in operation, Veolia offers the solutions that best meet the requirements and challenges of each region.
"With this new sensor, Veolia is once again demonstrating its expertise and expanding its range of cutting-edge technologies to combat drinking water losses in networks. Given the scarcity of the resource, every litre counts. The task is huge, but we have all the tools to help our municipal customers effectively protect their water resources by limiting leaks with our customised, innovative and sustainable solutions," explains Pierre Ribaute, General Director of Veolia's Water Division in France.
"Sewerin has more than 100 years of experience in leak detection and is demonstrating its expertise with the development of the SePem® 361 in collaboration with Veolia and Birdz. This latest-generation leak detection device ensures continuous monitoring of drinking water supply networks and alerts the operator to leaks over an exceptional 12-year period without the need for maintenance. Thanks to the sensitivity and durability of this solution, Veolia offers an unrivalled solution on the market. The Métropole Européenne de Lille and the SEDIF now have the most efficient techno-economic solution to protect their precious resource," explains Thierry Hoffmann, Managing Director of Sewerin France.
ABOUT VEOLIA
The Veolia Group has set itself the goal of becoming the reference company for ecological change. With 215,000 employees on five continents, the Group develops and implements useful and concrete solutions for water, waste and energy management that contribute to a radical change in the situation. Through its three complementary businesses, Veolia contributes to improving access to resources, preserving and renewing available resources. In 2024, the Veolia Group supplied 111 million people with drinking water and 98 million with wastewater disposal, produced 42 terawatt hours of energy and treated 65 million tonnes of waste. Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE) achieved a consolidated turnover of 44.7 billion euros in 2024."
1According to Sispea
Here you can find the original publication: https://www.veolia.fr/medias/communiques-presse/veolia-sewerin-deploient-solution-innovante-reduire-pertes-reseaux
