A leader in industrial automation and digital transformation solutions for over 30 years, Adroit Technologies is advancing its cutting-edge research and development (R&D) into an AI-powered Water Management Platform, designed to tackle one of South Africa’s most urgent infrastructure challenges: non-revenue water losses.
The R&D presents an opportunity to develop a first if its kind, AI-driven ‘pseudo-metering’ capability, a potential breakthrough feature that can infer consumption and pressure data in areas where physical meters are not installed. “We have proven the initial concept and have now secured the support of the government and other industry leaders to develop this AI-driven platform, confirms Frits Kok, Co-CEO at Adroit Technologies.
With nearly 40% of the country’s treated water lost to leaks, theft, and ageing infrastructure, Adroit Technologies is exploring new ways to enhance intelligent, data-driven water management. Using advanced machine learning (ML) and neural network algorithms, the research platform can analyse existing telemetry and SCADA data to detect leaks, forecast demand, and infer flow rates in areas without sensors, paving the way for more efficient, transparent municipal water systems in the future.
“South Africa’s water infrastructure challenges demand smarter, data-driven solutions,” stresses Kok. “Our current R&D is focused on developing next-generation AI capabilities that will, in time, complement our existing water management technologies, which are already helping utilities reduce water losses and make informed operational decisions today.”
Addressing a National Challenge
Urban growth, vandalism, and limited monitoring capacity have severely strained South Africa’s water systems. In many municipalities, leaks and pump failures are discovered only after outages occur.
Adroit Technologies’ ongoing research aims to integrate new AI tools seamlessly with existing SCADA and telemetry systems to deliver predictive analytics, real-time alerts, and actionable insights, helping engineers identify hidden losses and optimise operations before crises arise.
The AI-driven ‘pseudo-metering’ can infer consumption and pressure data where physical meters are missing or damaged. This innovation has the potential to help under-resourced municipalities monitor network conditions that were previously ‘data blind.’
Research with Real-World Impact
Adroit Technologies’ current research is focused on developing a scalable, national-level AI framework that leverages forecasting, anomaly detection, and digital twin modelling to enhance decision-making and support more efficient water use.
A hybrid neural network architecture (CNN-LSTM) and self-healing data middleware are being designed to operate effectively even with incomplete or delayed data, a common challenge across South Africa’s municipalities.
“This research is about enabling resilience,” adds Hugo Pienaar, Director of Digital Services at Adroit Technologies. “By combining AI with decades of SCADA expertise, we are helping municipalities envision how to predict issues before they happen and manage scarce water resources more efficiently.”
A Smarter, Sustainable Future
While Adroit Technologies continues to its R&D into AI-powered water management capabilities, the company already offers a proven suite of water management and SCADA solutions that empower utilities to detect leaks, optimise assets, and improve operational efficiency.
As the R&D programme progresses, these new AI capabilities will be introduced into Adroit’s product range, ensuring that customers can benefit from the latest innovations in predictive maintenance, data analytics, and infrastructure optimisation, all designed to strengthen South Africa’s water security and sustainability.
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