Case Study: United Utilities speeds up pipe repairs with VAPAR

United Utilities reduces survey processing time from 10 to 2 days with VAPAR

United Utilities, a water and sewerage company in England and Wales, faced challenging regulatory incentives related to flooding and pollution, requiring new technologies and ways of working. To speed up pipe repairs and control pipeline expenditure, they engaged with innovation start-ups, leading to a partnership with VAPAR and its AI-powered cloud platform for automated pipe condition assessment.

VAPAR implemented its AI platform to automate fault detection from CCTV inspection footage, using a Collaborative Intelligence approach to support human expertise. The solution reduced survey processing times from 10 days to 2 days, an 80% improvement, and provided a consistent method of defect coding for investment decisions. VAPAR's technology is now being rolled out widely across United Utilities and integrated with their monitoring systems for proactive network management.

United Utilities