Protecting a Multi-Building School Campus with Intelligent Leak Detection

Overview

Following a catastrophic escape of water during a school holiday, a Kent school, part of a wider multi-academy trust, sought a proactive solution to reduce the risk of future water damage across its campus. Leaksafe was brought in to design and install a leak detection and water management system capable of protecting the campus outside of school hours while maintaining normal operations during the day.

Challenge

The school faced several compounding issues:

• A campus comprising nine separate buildings, each with its own incoming water supply.
• A previous catastrophic escape of water that caused extensive disruption, forcing the relocation of classrooms and facilities while repairs were carried out.
• Varying operating schedules across the campus, with some buildings used for evening events and others operating standard school hours only.
• Sustainability objectives that required a reduction in water waste alongside improved leak protection.
• A need for facilities management staff to remotely monitor and report on water usage across the whole estate.

The school’s governors wanted a system that could protect the campus during unoccupied hours without disrupting normal daytime operations.

Solution

Leaksafe recommended installing its xFlow intelligent water management system on the incoming water supply to each of the nine buildings, allowing every building to be managed and protected independently.

Key Components Installed:

• xFlow water management units fitted to the incoming water supply of each of the nine buildings.
• Vodafone NB-IoT connectivity linking every installation to Leaksafe’s secure online dashboard.

How It Works:

1. Each building is assigned its own schedule, allowing unlimited water usage during occupied hours and restricted allowances outside operating hours.
2. If water usage exceeds predefined limits during an unoccupied period, xFlow automatically shuts off the supply to that building.
3. Instant SMS and email notifications are sent to the maintenance team whenever abnormal flow is detected, and staff can review system status and generate usage reports at any time via the online dashboard.

This provides both automatic protection against major water escapes and the flexibility to accommodate different schedules across a busy, multi-building campus.