{ "id": "AIBD-0340", "title": "Origin Tech's AI satellite leak detection may have found over 800 leaks in an 18-week Thames Water trial, saving an estimated 8.7 million liters a day", "summary": "18-week Origin Orbit trial on Thames Water's network: over 800 leaks found, est. 8.7 million liters a day saved (utility figures); 13-month contract followed, target 100 million liters a day.", "date_observed": "2026-05-05", "date_basis": "unassessed", "date_precision": "unassessed", "benefit_status": null, "source_collection": null, "source_entry": null, "account": "Thames Water trialed Origin Orbit, the satellite leak-detection product of North East England start-up Origin Tech Ltd (founded 2019). The company and the utility describe it as using AI on satellite data to flag suspected underground leaks within a 30-meter search radius. Origin's co-founder John Marsden told the BBC the satellites pass over Swindon roughly every six days. He said they produce points on a map for Thames Water crews. Thames Water's statements say an 18-week trial found over 800 leaks across the network. They were reported by the BBC (20 May 2026) and reproduced in trade press. It saved an estimated 8.7 million liters of water a day, with several leaks running at more than 10 liters per second. On the strength of the trial, Thames Water signed a 13-month contract, launched in March 2026 per the utility's release. It deploys 20 specialist teams expected to find about 25 leaks a week each, and aims to cut leakage by 100 million liters a day. That makes it the first water company to integrate Origin Orbit into business-as-usual leakage operations. Origin Tech's own site adds a 2026 claim that Origin Orbit identified over 5,000 leaks (73.45 ML/d) across its customers. All figures originate with the utility and the vendor, and no regulator or independent measurement is among the sources. The trial dates are not given. Smart Water Magazine reported the result on 5 May 2026. Cambridgeshire County Council's AI inspection contract (April 2026) and Hertfordshire's ARRES robot (January 2024) have no outcomes on record. They are not among the sources.", "category": "benefit created", "unexpected": false, "purpose": "Built to pinpoint non-visible underground leaks from satellite data so that crews can find and fix them. The leaks found in the trial are that purpose.", "system": "Origin Orbit (Origin Tech satellite leak detection applying AI to satellite data to flag suspected leaks within a 30-meter search radius)", "model_version": "Origin Orbit®", "developer": "Origin Tech Ltd (North East England)", "deployer": "Thames Water (leakage operations; 20 Origin specialist teams under the 2026 contract)", "location": "Thames Water supply area, England (BBC report centered on Swindon, Wiltshire)", "domain": "Water utilities: leakage detection", "segment": "Private regulated water company", "benefit_type": "Reduced Carbon Emissions", "taxonomy_note": "Water lost to leaks is read under Trustible's “water consumption”; the saving is the utility's figure.", "registry_ids": {}, "ratings": [ { "group": "personal", "depth": null, "reason": "No individual customer outcome is documented. The BBC notes most of these leaks are never seen by customers." }, { "group": "organizational", "depth": 2, "reason": "Material to the utility's leakage operations by its own account. Over 800 leaks were found and an estimated 8.7 million liters a day saved in one trial. A 13-month business-as-usual contract followed. The estimate is the utility's own and unverified." }, { "group": "societal", "depth": 1, "reason": "Water was conserved for the public supply. Per the Environment Agency figure cited by the BBC, about 19% of UK water is lost to leakage. The scale claimed is modest and unverified." } ], "ai_role": { "status": "assessed", "statement": "Only the vendor and the utility describe the AI role. The BBC caption says the AI-generated satellite technology detects moisture and movement in the ground, and Origin Tech describes AI-driven satellite insights. The system outputs suspected-leak points that Thames Water crews then locate and repair with conventional methods. The 800-leak and 8.7 million liters a day figures are Thames Water's estimates relayed by the BBC. They are reproduced in the utility's press release (Water Magazine) and trade press. Origin Tech's site adds vendor claims. No independent verification is among the sources." }, "evidence": [ { "kind": "news report", "citation": "Rattley, H. and Jewers, N. (2026). Thames Water using AI technology to find leaks in Swindon. BBC News, 20 May 2026.", "title": "Thames Water using AI technology to find leaks in Swindon", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr5pzmyr5jeo", "date": "2026-05-20", "written_by": "independent", "quote": "During a previous trial, 800 leaks across Thames Water's network were found." }, { "kind": "news report", "citation": "Rattley, H. and Jewers, N. (2026). Thames Water using AI technology to find leaks in Swindon. BBC News, 20 May 2026 (savings estimate attributed to the company).", "title": "Thames Water using AI technology to find leaks in Swindon (savings estimate)", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr5pzmyr5jeo", "date": "2026-05-20", "written_by": "independent", "quote": "The company said this helped to save an estimated 8.7 million litres of water per day, enough to fill more than three Olympic-sized swimming pools." }, { "kind": "news report", "citation": "Rattley, H. and Jewers, N. (2026). Thames Water using AI technology to find leaks in Swindon. BBC News, 20 May 2026 (image caption describing the technology).", "title": "Thames Water using AI technology to find leaks in Swindon (technology description)", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr5pzmyr5jeo", "date": "2026-05-20", "written_by": "independent", "quote": "The AI-generated satellite technology detects moisture and movement in the ground" }, { "kind": "press release", "citation": "Thames Water (2026). Thames Water signs landmark leak detection contract with Origin Tech to save over 100 million litres of water per day. Press release reproduced by Water Magazine, 29 May 2026 (source credited as Thames Water).", "title": "Thames Water signs landmark leak detection contract with Origin Tech to save over 100 million litres of water per day", "url": "https://watermagazine.co.uk/2026/05/29/thames-water-signs-landmark-leak-detection-contract-with-origin-tech-to-save-over-100-million-litres-of-water-per-day/", "date": "2026-05-29", "written_by": "deployer", "quote": "During a previous 18-week trial, Origin Orbit® was able to find over 800 leaks across Thames Water's network, helping to save an estimated 8.7 million litres of water per day." }, { "kind": "news report", "citation": "Tempest, O. (2026). Thames Water signs AI satellite deal to plug 100 million litres of daily leaks. Smart Water Magazine, 5 May 2026 (no verbatim quote taken).", "title": "Thames Water signs AI satellite deal to plug 100 million litres of daily leaks", "url": "https://smartwatermagazine.com/news/thames-water/thames-water-signs-ai-satellite-deal-plug-100-million-litres-daily-leaks", "date": "2026-05-05", "written_by": "independent", "quote": null }, { "kind": "press release", "citation": "Origin Tech (2026). Origin Tech in Partnership with Thames Water. Origin news, 29 May 2026.", "title": "Origin Tech in Partnership with Thames Water", "url": "https://www.origintech.co.uk/origin-news/origin-tech-in-partnership-with-thames-water", "date": "2026-05-29", "written_by": "makers", "quote": "By combining AI-driven satellite insights with operational expertise, Origin Tech is enabling faster, more precise detection of previously invisible leaks." }, { "kind": "press release", "citation": "Origin Tech (2026). Origin Tech Featured in BBC News and BBC Wiltshire Radio. Origin news, 20 May 2026.", "title": "Origin Tech Featured in BBC News and BBC Wiltshire Radio", "url": "https://www.origintech.co.uk/origin-news/origin-tech-featured-in-bbc-news-and-bbc-wiltshire-radio", "date": "2026-05-20", "written_by": "makers", "quote": "Origin Orbit® has been able to identify over 5K leaks, which is over 73.45 ML/d of leakage" }, { "kind": "press release", "citation": "Thames Water (2026). Thames Water signs landmark leak detection contract with Origin Tech to save over 100 million litres of water per day. Newsroom, 1 May 2026.", "title": "Thames Water signs landmark leak detection contract with Origin Tech to save over 100 million litres of water per day", "url": "https://www.thameswater.co.uk/news/2026/apr/thames-water-signs-landmark-leak-detection-contract-with-origin-tech-to-save-over-100-million-litres-of-water-per-day", "date": "2026-05-01", "written_by": "deployer", "quote": null }, { "kind": "press release", "citation": "Thames Water (2026). Thames Water uses satellites, AI and thousands of acoustic sensors to hunt down leaks as South-East drought pressure intensifies. Newsroom, 24 August 2026.", "title": "Thames Water uses satellites, AI and thousands of acoustic sensors to hunt down leaks as South‑East drought pressure intensifies", "url": "https://www.thameswater.co.uk/news/2026/aug/thames-water-uses-satellites-ai-and-thousands-of-acoustic-sensors-to-hunt-down-leaks-as-south-east-drought-pressure-intensifies", "date": "2026-08-24", "written_by": "deployer", "quote": null } ], "replication": { "produced_by": [ "Satellite passes about every six days over the network, processed into suspected-leak points within a 30-meter radius", "An 18-week trial in which Thames Water crews investigated the points with conventional ground methods", "A network with a large share of non-visible underground leaks (92% of Origin Orbit finds are non-visible, per the vendor)" ], "must_hold": [ "Satellite revisit frequency and ground conditions that allow moisture and movement to be detected", "Crew capacity to investigate points (20 teams at about 25 leaks a week each under the contract)", "Repair follow-through so that found leaks become saved water", "The utility's method for estimating liters saved per leak, which no independent source has checked" ], "echoes": [ { "date": "2026-05-29", "setting": "13-month business-as-usual contract launched March 2026 with 20 specialist teams, targeting 100 million liters a day; no result reported yet", "model_version": null, "outcome": "unknown", "source": "https://watermagazine.co.uk/2026/05/29/thames-water-signs-landmark-leak-detection-contract-with-origin-tech-to-save-over-100-million-liters-of-water-per-day/" }, { "date": "2026-05-20", "setting": "Origin Tech's 2026 claim across its customers: over 5,000 leaks identified, 73.45 ML/d (vendor statement, unverified)", "model_version": null, "outcome": "unknown", "source": "https://www.origintech.co.uk/origin-news/origin-tech-featured-in-bbc-news-and-bbc-wiltshire-radio" } ] }, "paired_incident": null, "headline": "Origin Orbit trial may have found over 800 Thames Water leaks", "metric": "over 800 leaks across the network, saving an estimated 8.7 million liters of water a day", "comparator": { "against": "a person detecting leaks unassisted on the ground (the vendor co-founder's claim)", "before": "a person working unassisted on the ground", "after": "at least five times quicker", "basis": "assumed", "quote": "Marsden said the technology is \"at least five times quicker\" at detecting \"invisible leaks that are really difficult to find\" than a person working unassisted on the ground.", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr5pzmyr5jeo" }, "later": { "status": "scaled", "date": "2026-08-24", "note": "After the trial Thames Water took Origin Orbit into a 13-month business-as-usual contract (launched March 2026, 20 teams) and by August 2026 described the satellite detection as part of its drought-response leak hunting, without reporting post-trial leak counts.", "quote": "Thames Water also uses an AI-driven leak detection solution that uses satellite data to identify leaks. The utility company partners with Origin Orbit to detect anomalies in the ground that indicate underground water leaks.", "url": "https://www.thameswater.co.uk/news/2026/aug/thames-water-uses-satellites-ai-and-thousands-of-acoustic-sensors-to-hunt-down-leaks-as-south-east-drought-pressure-intensifies" }, "value": null, "developer_country": "United Kingdom", "deployer_country": "United Kingdom", "unrated_because": null, "brief_notes": null, "brief": null, "revisions": [ { "date": "2026-10-20", "change": "Record drafted from the cited sources.", "source": null, "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Headline reworded to state the event without naming who claims it.", "source": null, "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Title reworded to state the event without naming who claims it.", "source": null, "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Added what the benefit is measured against, what happened since, the model version from the cited sources.", "source": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr5pzmyr5jeo; https://www.thameswater.co.uk/news/2026/aug/thames-water-uses-satellites-ai-and-thousands-of-acoustic-sensors-to-hunt-down-leaks-as-south-east-drought-pressure-intensifies; https://www.thameswater.co.uk/news/2026/apr/thames-water-signs-landmark-leak-detection-contract-with-origin-tech-to-save-over-100-million-litres-of-water-per-day", "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Benefit type set to Reduced Carbon Emissions under Trustible's full taxonomy of 23 types; it was Improved Environmental Sustainability among the six first used.", "source": "https://trustible.ai/post/a-framework-for-measuring-the-benefits-of-ai/", "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Country of the developer and the deployer added from the organization's own site or a registry.", "source": "https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/12359793; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_Water", "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Prose pass: a rating reason, account, purpose, the system's part rewritten in shorter sentences with abbreviations expanded; facts, figures and quotations unchanged.", "source": null, "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Notes about which sources could be read were reworded for readers; facts, figures and quotations unchanged.", "source": null, "editor": "AIBD" } ], "confidence": "reported", "shade": "medium", "claim_status": "Independently reported", "claim_basis": "Sources: two independent news reports, two press releases from the makers and three press releases from the deployer. The cited evidence includes no independent study or report and no finding by a regulator or court.", "profile": { "case_id": "AIBD-0340", "catalog_version": "1.0.0", "source_fingerprint": "7d1b2c1ddb627a3cb73bdc8b7e842b73fac11086faf02670ed739acb1100f910", "collection_refs": [ { "collection_id": "aibd", "version": "snapshot-8bf7cfec9cb185aa" }, { "collection_id": "aibd", "version": "2026-10-25" }, { "collection_id": "chanticleer", "version": "2026-10-25" } ], "source_ids": [ "AIBD-0340-source-0001", "AIBD-0340-source-0002", "AIBD-0340-source-0003", "AIBD-0340-source-0004", "AIBD-0340-source-0005", "AIBD-0340-source-0006", "AIBD-0340-source-0007", "AIBD-0340-source-0008", "AIBD-0340-source-0009" ], "families": { "strategic assessments": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial", "record_ids": [] }, "evaluations": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial", "record_ids": [] }, "monetary observations": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial", "record_ids": [] }, "institutional decisions": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial", "record_ids": [] } }, "fields": { "actors[]": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "developer": "Origin Tech Ltd (North East England)", "deployer": "Thames Water (leakage operations; 20 Origin specialist teams under the 2026 contract)" } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "developer", "deployer" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "actors[].ownership_control": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "ai_contribution": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "ai_role": { "status": "assessed", "statement": "Only the vendor and the utility describe the AI role. The BBC caption says the AI-generated satellite technology detects moisture and movement in the ground, and Origin Tech describes AI-driven satellite insights. The system outputs suspected-leak points that Thames Water crews then locate and repair with conventional methods. The 800-leak and 8.7 million liters a day figures are Thames Water's estimates relayed by the BBC. They are reproduced in the utility's press release (Water Magazine) and trade press. Origin Tech's site adds vendor claims. 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an AI-driven leak detection solution that uses satellite data to identify leaks. The utility company partners with Origin Orbit to detect anomalies in the ground that indicate underground water leaks.", "url": "https://www.thameswater.co.uk/news/2026/aug/thames-water-uses-satellites-ai-and-thousands-of-acoustic-sensors-to-hunt-down-leaks-as-south-east-drought-pressure-intensifies" } } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "later" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "human_oversight": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "id": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "id": "AIBD-0340" } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "id" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "infrastructure_dependencies[]": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "outcomes[].beneficiaries": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "outcomes[].beneficiary_count": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "outcomes[].benefit_type": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "benefit_type": "Reduced Carbon Emissions", "taxonomy_note": "Water lost to leaks is read under Trustible's “water consumption”; the saving is the utility's figure." } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "benefit_type", "taxonomy_note" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "outcomes[].claim": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "account": "Thames Water trialed Origin Orbit, the satellite leak-detection product of North East England start-up Origin Tech Ltd (founded 2019). The company and the utility describe it as using AI on satellite data to flag suspected underground leaks within a 30-meter search radius. Origin's co-founder John Marsden told the BBC the satellites pass over Swindon roughly every six days. He said they produce points on a map for Thames Water crews. Thames Water's statements say an 18-week trial found over 800 leaks across the network. They were reported by the BBC (20 May 2026) and reproduced in trade press. It saved an estimated 8.7 million liters of water a day, with several leaks running at more than 10 liters per second. On the strength of the trial, Thames Water signed a 13-month contract, launched in March 2026 per the utility's release. It deploys 20 specialist teams expected to find about 25 leaks a week each, and aims to cut leakage by 100 million liters a day. That makes it the first water company to integrate Origin Orbit into business-as-usual leakage operations. Origin Tech's own site adds a 2026 claim that Origin Orbit identified over 5,000 leaks (73.45 ML/d) across its customers. All figures originate with the utility and the vendor, and no regulator or independent measurement is among the sources. The trial dates are not given. Smart Water Magazine reported the result on 5 May 2026. Cambridgeshire County Council's AI inspection contract (April 2026) and Hertfordshire's ARRES robot (January 2024) have no outcomes on record. They are not among the sources.", "benefit_type": "Reduced Carbon Emissions" } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "account", "benefit_type" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "outcomes[].distribution": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "outcomes[].duration": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "outcomes[].id": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "outcomes[].stakeholder_group": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "ratings": [ { "group": "personal", "reason": "No individual customer outcome is documented. The BBC notes most of these leaks are never seen by customers." }, { "group": "organizational", "depth": 2, "reason": "Material to the utility's leakage operations by its own account. Over 800 leaks were found and an estimated 8.7 million liters a day saved in one trial. A 13-month business-as-usual contract followed. The estimate is the utility's own and unverified." }, { "group": "societal", "depth": 1, "reason": "Water was conserved for the public supply. Per the Environment Agency figure cited by the BBC, about 19% of UK water is lost to leakage. The scale claimed is modest and unverified." } ] } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "ratings" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "outcomes[].status": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "outcomes[].tradeoffs": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "outcomes[].unexpected": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "unexpected": false, "purpose": "Built to pinpoint non-visible underground leaks from satellite data so that crews can find and fix them. The leaks found in the trial are that purpose." } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "unexpected", "purpose" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "places[]": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "location": "Thames Water supply area, England (BBC report centered on Swindon, Wiltshire)", "developer_country": "United Kingdom", "deployer_country": "United Kingdom" } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "location", "developer_country", "deployer_country" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "purpose": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "purpose": "Built to pinpoint non-visible underground leaks from satellite data so that crews can find and fix them. 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https://www.thameswater.co.uk/news/2026/apr/thames-water-signs-landmark-leak-detection-contract-with-origin-tech-to-save-over-100-million-litres-of-water-per-day", "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Benefit type set to Reduced Carbon Emissions under Trustible's full taxonomy of 23 types; it was Improved Environmental Sustainability among the six first used.", "source": "https://trustible.ai/post/a-framework-for-measuring-the-benefits-of-ai/", "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Country of the developer and the deployer added from the organization's own site or a registry.", "source": "https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/12359793; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_Water", "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Prose pass: a rating reason, account, purpose, the system's part rewritten in shorter sentences with abbreviations expanded; facts, figures and quotations unchanged.", "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Notes about which sources could be read were reworded for readers; facts, figures and quotations unchanged.", "editor": "AIBD" } ] } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "date_observed", "revisions" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "replication.attempts[]": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "replication": { "produced_by": [ "Satellite passes about every six days over the network, processed into suspected-leak points within a 30-meter radius", "An 18-week trial in which Thames Water crews investigated the points with conventional ground methods", "A network with a large share of non-visible underground leaks (92% of Origin Orbit finds are non-visible, per the vendor)" ], "must_hold": [ "Satellite revisit frequency and ground conditions that allow moisture and movement to be detected", "Crew capacity to investigate points (20 teams at about 25 leaks a week each under the contract)", "Repair follow-through so that found leaks become saved water", "The utility's method for estimating liters saved per leak, which no independent source has checked" ], "echoes": [ { "date": "2026-05-29", "setting": "13-month business-as-usual contract launched March 2026 with 20 specialist teams, targeting 100 million liters a day; no result reported yet", "outcome": "unknown", "source": "https://watermagazine.co.uk/2026/05/29/thames-water-signs-landmark-leak-detection-contract-with-origin-tech-to-save-over-100-million-liters-of-water-per-day/" }, { "date": "2026-05-20", "setting": "Origin Tech's 2026 claim across its customers: over 5,000 leaks identified, 73.45 ML/d (vendor statement, unverified)", "outcome": "unknown", "source": "https://www.origintech.co.uk/origin-news/origin-tech-featured-in-bbc-news-and-bbc-wiltshire-radio" } ] } } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "replication" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "replication.conditions": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "replication": { "produced_by": [ "Satellite passes about every six days over the network, processed into suspected-leak points within a 30-meter radius", "An 18-week trial in which Thames Water crews investigated the points with conventional ground methods", "A network with a large share of non-visible underground leaks (92% of Origin Orbit finds are non-visible, per the vendor)" ], "must_hold": [ "Satellite revisit frequency and ground conditions that allow moisture and movement to be detected", "Crew capacity to investigate points (20 teams at about 25 leaks a week each under the contract)", "Repair follow-through so that found leaks become saved water", "The utility's method for estimating liters saved per leak, which no independent source has checked" ], "echoes": [ { "date": "2026-05-29", "setting": "13-month business-as-usual contract launched March 2026 with 20 specialist teams, targeting 100 million liters a day; no result reported yet", "outcome": "unknown", "source": "https://watermagazine.co.uk/2026/05/29/thames-water-signs-landmark-leak-detection-contract-with-origin-tech-to-save-over-100-million-liters-of-water-per-day/" }, { "date": "2026-05-20", "setting": "Origin Tech's 2026 claim across its customers: over 5,000 leaks identified, 73.45 ML/d (vendor statement, unverified)", "outcome": "unknown", "source": "https://www.origintech.co.uk/origin-news/origin-tech-featured-in-bbc-news-and-bbc-wiltshire-radio" } ] } } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "replication" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "revision_history[]": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "revisions": [ { "date": "2026-10-20", "change": "Record drafted from the cited sources.", "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Headline reworded to state the event without naming who claims it.", "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Title reworded to state the event without naming who claims it.", "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Added what the benefit is measured against, what happened since, the model version from the cited sources.", "source": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr5pzmyr5jeo; https://www.thameswater.co.uk/news/2026/aug/thames-water-uses-satellites-ai-and-thousands-of-acoustic-sensors-to-hunt-down-leaks-as-south-east-drought-pressure-intensifies; https://www.thameswater.co.uk/news/2026/apr/thames-water-signs-landmark-leak-detection-contract-with-origin-tech-to-save-over-100-million-litres-of-water-per-day", "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Benefit type set to Reduced Carbon Emissions under Trustible's full taxonomy of 23 types; it was Improved Environmental Sustainability among the six first used.", "source": "https://trustible.ai/post/a-framework-for-measuring-the-benefits-of-ai/", "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Country of the developer and the deployer added from the organization's own site or a registry.", "source": "https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/12359793; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_Water", "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Prose pass: a rating reason, account, purpose, the system's part rewritten in shorter sentences with abbreviations expanded; 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Thames Water using AI technology to find leaks in Swindon. BBC News, 20 May 2026 (image caption describing the technology).", "title": "Thames Water using AI technology to find leaks in Swindon (technology description)", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr5pzmyr5jeo", "date": "2026-05-20", "written_by": "independent", "quote": "The AI-generated satellite technology detects moisture and movement in the ground" }, { "kind": "press release", "citation": "Thames Water (2026). Thames Water signs landmark leak detection contract with Origin Tech to save over 100 million litres of water per day. 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Origin news, 20 May 2026.", "title": "Origin Tech Featured in BBC News and BBC Wiltshire Radio", "url": "https://www.origintech.co.uk/origin-news/origin-tech-featured-in-bbc-news-and-bbc-wiltshire-radio", "date": "2026-05-20", "written_by": "makers", "quote": "Origin Orbit® has been able to identify over 5K leaks, which is over 73.45 ML/d of leakage" }, { "kind": "press release", "citation": "Thames Water (2026). Thames Water signs landmark leak detection contract with Origin Tech to save over 100 million litres of water per day. Newsroom, 1 May 2026.", "title": "Thames Water signs landmark leak detection contract with Origin Tech to save over 100 million litres of water per day", "url": "https://www.thameswater.co.uk/news/2026/apr/thames-water-signs-landmark-leak-detection-contract-with-origin-tech-to-save-over-100-million-litres-of-water-per-day", "date": "2026-05-01", "written_by": "deployer" }, { "kind": "press release", "citation": "Thames Water (2026). Thames Water uses satellites, AI and thousands of acoustic sensors to hunt down leaks as South-East drought pressure intensifies. Newsroom, 24 August 2026.", "title": "Thames Water uses satellites, AI and thousands of acoustic sensors to hunt down leaks as South‑East drought pressure intensifies", "url": "https://www.thameswater.co.uk/news/2026/aug/thames-water-uses-satellites-ai-and-thousands-of-acoustic-sensors-to-hunt-down-leaks-as-south-east-drought-pressure-intensifies", "date": "2026-08-24", "written_by": "deployer" } ] } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "evidence" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "sources[].id": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "identifiers", "identifiers": [ "AIBD-0340-source-0001", "AIBD-0340-source-0002", "AIBD-0340-source-0003", "AIBD-0340-source-0004", "AIBD-0340-source-0005", "AIBD-0340-source-0006", "AIBD-0340-source-0007", "AIBD-0340-source-0008", "AIBD-0340-source-0009" ], "role": "Existing evidence items, in their original order" }, "provenance": { "kind": "curatorial", "basis": "Stable within the fingerprinted record version; no source content or source review has been added.", "record_fields": [], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "complete" }, "sources[].language": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "sources[].relationship": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "evidence": [ { "kind": "news report", "citation": "Rattley, H. and Jewers, N. 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Thames Water using AI technology to find leaks in Swindon. BBC News, 20 May 2026 (image caption describing the technology).", "title": "Thames Water using AI technology to find leaks in Swindon (technology description)", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr5pzmyr5jeo", "date": "2026-05-20", "written_by": "independent", "quote": "The AI-generated satellite technology detects moisture and movement in the ground" }, { "kind": "press release", "citation": "Thames Water (2026). Thames Water signs landmark leak detection contract with Origin Tech to save over 100 million litres of water per day. Press release reproduced by Water Magazine, 29 May 2026 (source credited as Thames Water).", "title": "Thames Water signs landmark leak detection contract with Origin Tech to save over 100 million litres of water per day", "url": "https://watermagazine.co.uk/2026/05/29/thames-water-signs-landmark-leak-detection-contract-with-origin-tech-to-save-over-100-million-litres-of-water-per-day/", "date": "2026-05-29", "written_by": "deployer", "quote": "During a previous 18-week trial, Origin Orbit® was able to find over 800 leaks across Thames Water's network, helping to save an estimated 8.7 million litres of water per day." }, { "kind": "news report", "citation": "Tempest, O. (2026). Thames Water signs AI satellite deal to plug 100 million litres of daily leaks. Smart Water Magazine, 5 May 2026 (no verbatim quote taken).", "title": "Thames Water signs AI satellite deal to plug 100 million litres of daily leaks", "url": "https://smartwatermagazine.com/news/thames-water/thames-water-signs-ai-satellite-deal-plug-100-million-litres-daily-leaks", "date": "2026-05-05", "written_by": "independent" }, { "kind": "press release", "citation": "Origin Tech (2026). Origin Tech in Partnership with Thames Water. Origin news, 29 May 2026.", "title": "Origin Tech in Partnership with Thames Water", "url": "https://www.origintech.co.uk/origin-news/origin-tech-in-partnership-with-thames-water", "date": "2026-05-29", "written_by": "makers", "quote": "By combining AI-driven satellite insights with operational expertise, Origin Tech is enabling faster, more precise detection of previously invisible leaks." }, { "kind": "press release", "citation": "Origin Tech (2026). Origin Tech Featured in BBC News and BBC Wiltshire Radio. Origin news, 20 May 2026.", "title": "Origin Tech Featured in BBC News and BBC Wiltshire Radio", "url": "https://www.origintech.co.uk/origin-news/origin-tech-featured-in-bbc-news-and-bbc-wiltshire-radio", "date": "2026-05-20", "written_by": "makers", "quote": "Origin Orbit® has been able to identify over 5K leaks, which is over 73.45 ML/d of leakage" }, { "kind": "press release", "citation": "Thames Water (2026). Thames Water signs landmark leak detection contract with Origin Tech to save over 100 million litres of water per day. Newsroom, 1 May 2026.", "title": "Thames Water signs landmark leak detection contract with Origin Tech to save over 100 million litres of water per day", "url": "https://www.thameswater.co.uk/news/2026/apr/thames-water-signs-landmark-leak-detection-contract-with-origin-tech-to-save-over-100-million-litres-of-water-per-day", "date": "2026-05-01", "written_by": "deployer" }, { "kind": "press release", "citation": "Thames Water (2026). Thames Water uses satellites, AI and thousands of acoustic sensors to hunt down leaks as South-East drought pressure intensifies. Newsroom, 24 August 2026.", "title": "Thames Water uses satellites, AI and thousands of acoustic sensors to hunt down leaks as South‑East drought pressure intensifies", "url": "https://www.thameswater.co.uk/news/2026/aug/thames-water-uses-satellites-ai-and-thousands-of-acoustic-sensors-to-hunt-down-leaks-as-south-east-drought-pressure-intensifies", "date": "2026-08-24", "written_by": "deployer" } ] } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "evidence" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "sources[].upstream_sources": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "strategic_assessments[]": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial", "family": "strategic assessments" }, "summary": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "summary": "18-week Origin Orbit trial on Thames Water's network: over 800 leaks found, est. 8.7 million liters a day saved (utility figures); 13-month contract followed, target 100 million liters a day.", "account": "Thames Water trialed Origin Orbit, the satellite leak-detection product of North East England start-up Origin Tech Ltd (founded 2019). The company and the utility describe it as using AI on satellite data to flag suspected underground leaks within a 30-meter search radius. Origin's co-founder John Marsden told the BBC the satellites pass over Swindon roughly every six days. He said they produce points on a map for Thames Water crews. Thames Water's statements say an 18-week trial found over 800 leaks across the network. They were reported by the BBC (20 May 2026) and reproduced in trade press. It saved an estimated 8.7 million liters of water a day, with several leaks running at more than 10 liters per second. On the strength of the trial, Thames Water signed a 13-month contract, launched in March 2026 per the utility's release. It deploys 20 specialist teams expected to find about 25 leaks a week each, and aims to cut leakage by 100 million liters a day. That makes it the first water company to integrate Origin Orbit into business-as-usual leakage operations. Origin Tech's own site adds a 2026 claim that Origin Orbit identified over 5,000 leaks (73.45 ML/d) across its customers. All figures originate with the utility and the vendor, and no regulator or independent measurement is among the sources. The trial dates are not given. Smart Water Magazine reported the result on 5 May 2026. Cambridgeshire County Council's AI inspection contract (April 2026) and Hertfordshire's ARRES robot (January 2024) have no outcomes on record. They are not among the sources." } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "summary", "account" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "systems[].autonomy_permissions": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "systems[].component_role": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "text", "text": "The software analyzed satellite data to identify possible water leaks." }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Restated the mechanical task already described in the existing system and AI-role fields. No new source review is claimed.", "record_fields": [ "system", "ai_role" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "systems[].deployment_configuration": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "text", "text": "The deployment used Origin Orbit." }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Separated the model, software, hardware, or operation already described in the existing record. No new source review is claimed.", "record_fields": [ "model_version", "system", "ai_role" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "systems[].inputs_outputs": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "systems[].model_name": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "systems[].model_version": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "model_version": "Origin Orbit®" } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "model_version" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial", "display": { "answer": "Exact release not established.", "editor_note": "" } }, "systems[].product_name": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "system": "Origin Orbit (Origin Tech satellite leak detection applying AI to satellite data to flag suspected leaks within a 30-meter search radius)" } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "system" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "systems[].provider": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "structured", "data": { "application_developer": "Origin Tech Ltd (North East England)" } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Mapped from the existing case description without a new external source review.", "record_fields": [ "developer" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "taxonomy_crosswalks[]": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "title": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "title": "Origin Tech's AI satellite leak detection may have found over 800 leaks in an 18-week Thames Water trial, saving an estimated 8.7 million liters a day", "headline": "Origin Orbit trial may have found over 800 Thames Water leaks" } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "title", "headline" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "version": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "identifiers", "identifiers": [ "7d1b2c1ddb627a3cb73bdc8b7e842b73fac11086faf02670ed739acb1100f910" ], "role": "SHA-256 of normalized original case data" }, "provenance": { "kind": "curatorial", "basis": "Deterministic content version assigned by the local migration.", "record_fields": [], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "complete" }, "workflow": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "account": "Thames Water trialed Origin Orbit, the satellite leak-detection product of North East England start-up Origin Tech Ltd (founded 2019). The company and the utility describe it as using AI on satellite data to flag suspected underground leaks within a 30-meter search radius. Origin's co-founder John Marsden told the BBC the satellites pass over Swindon roughly every six days. He said they produce points on a map for Thames Water crews. Thames Water's statements say an 18-week trial found over 800 leaks across the network. They were reported by the BBC (20 May 2026) and reproduced in trade press. It saved an estimated 8.7 million liters of water a day, with several leaks running at more than 10 liters per second. On the strength of the trial, Thames Water signed a 13-month contract, launched in March 2026 per the utility's release. It deploys 20 specialist teams expected to find about 25 leaks a week each, and aims to cut leakage by 100 million liters a day. That makes it the first water company to integrate Origin Orbit into business-as-usual leakage operations. Origin Tech's own site adds a 2026 claim that Origin Orbit identified over 5,000 leaks (73.45 ML/d) across its customers. All figures originate with the utility and the vendor, and no regulator or independent measurement is among the sources. The trial dates are not given. Smart Water Magazine reported the result on 5 May 2026. Cambridgeshire County Council's AI inspection contract (April 2026) and Hertfordshire's ARRES robot (January 2024) have no outcomes on record. They are not among the sources.", "replication": { "produced_by": [ "Satellite passes about every six days over the network, processed into suspected-leak points within a 30-meter radius", "An 18-week trial in which Thames Water crews investigated the points with conventional ground methods", "A network with a large share of non-visible underground leaks (92% of Origin Orbit finds are non-visible, per the vendor)" ], "must_hold": [ "Satellite revisit frequency and ground conditions that allow moisture and movement to be detected", "Crew capacity to investigate points (20 teams at about 25 leaks a week each under the contract)", "Repair follow-through so that found leaks become saved water", "The utility's method for estimating liters saved per leak, which no independent source has checked" ], "echoes": [ { "date": "2026-05-29", "setting": "13-month business-as-usual contract launched March 2026 with 20 specialist teams, targeting 100 million liters a day; no result reported yet", "outcome": "unknown", "source": "https://watermagazine.co.uk/2026/05/29/thames-water-signs-landmark-leak-detection-contract-with-origin-tech-to-save-over-100-million-liters-of-water-per-day/" }, { "date": "2026-05-20", "setting": "Origin Tech's 2026 claim across its customers: over 5,000 leaks identified, 73.45 ML/d (vendor statement, unverified)", "outcome": "unknown", "source": "https://www.origintech.co.uk/origin-news/origin-tech-featured-in-bbc-news-and-bbc-wiltshire-radio" } ] } } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "account", "replication" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" } }, "summary": { "total": 91, "addressed": 91, "known": 32, "reviewed": 0, "record_mapped": 32, "not_assessed": 59, "complete": false, "by_state": { "value_present": 32, "not_reported": 0, "unresolved": 0, "not_assessed": 59, "not_applicable": 0, "withheld": 0, "source_unavailable": 0 } } } }