Water damage and waste are significant risks for commercial construction projects. Leaks and inefficiencies can have enormous impact on operations and productivity. The possibilities range from small, unnoticed leaks that over time create massive, expensive damage to catastrophic water line failures. Depending on the size of the building or system, those costs can reach millions of dollars on a single project.
The fact that water is an almost entirely unmanaged resource on construction sites is key to its risk. Water in buildings and jobsites is a totally un-monitored. As a result, approximately 25% of the water in the built environment is simply wasted through inefficiency, equipment malfunction or failure, or human error.
While that number reflects the massive challenge for building operators, the situation also presents an unprecedented opportunity for proactive and forward-thinking organizations to cut costs, prevent damage, and protect the environment using innovative AI-powered water management solutions.
WATER DAMAGE COSTS
Water leak damage, waste, inefficiency, and energy consumption are related to a range of business costs for contractors. Unmanaged water leads to property damage, repair and remediation costs, project delays, customer inconvenience, and increased insurance rates.
Water in construction projects is a source of two types of risk. The first is the actual damage to the project and equipment. The second is project delays. For GCs, time is money. One water leak, left unattended, can end up delaying a construction project for weeks or months and cost millions in damages and rework.
Water is a scarce resource, with large parts of the US and Europe suffering from severe droughts. Waste is also a major source of carbon emissions, with the built environment accounting for an outsized percentage of water-related energy output.
Data-powered water management solutions offer a way for companies to proactively optimize water usage. The powerful results of effective leak detection and water management technology solutions demonstrate that such solutions can be an integral part of a successful strategy for today’s contractors. The best water management systems serve a building throughout its lifecycle, providing value to stakeholders from construction through operation.
AI-BASED SOLUTIONS
In an increasingly competitive market, companies must address the costs of significant waste and damage from leaks.
Next-generation systems such as WINT help organizations mitigate water risk in a wide range of commercial applications, from construction to multifamily residential, office, retail, higher education, and others. WINT’s powerful AI analytics provide organizations a highly effective solution to these challenges. Commercial, residential, education, and other large facilities can now monitor and manage water, cut waste, prevent damage, and reduce emissions so they can meet financial and sustainability goals into the future.
WINT equips contractors’ teams with a cutting-edge solution for managing water on the jobsite, fighting water loss and damage, and reducing the environmental impact of an increasingly scarce resource. WINT includes advanced capabilities such as:
- Automated leak mitigation with real-time detection and auto shutoff.
- Unparalleled anomaly detection and analytics powered by advanced AI algorithms.
- Enterprise-grade management for operation in large and mid-size facilities.
- Backup power to ensure uninterrupted water management and valve activation even during power outages.
- Autonomous operation in case of communication failures.
- Ability to monitor and detect anomalies on all types of water systems in the facility, including main feeds, domestic cold water, irrigation, cooling towers, sprinklers, and HVAC.
These solutions have a proven record of success: One GC started using WINT after years of accumulated water damage claims and the risk of rising insurance premiums. Since installation, the company has not experienced a single water leak claim. At this point they have issued a CEO mandate to deploy WINT on all projects, from day one. And beyond the damage prevention benefits, they’ve also reduced project overhead and water consumption.
Advanced water management tools such as WINT deliver remarkable results that reflect the construction industry’s commitment to innovative solutions that reduce the cost, risk, and climate impact associated with leaks and water waste in the built environment.
Efforts to reduce emissions and waste are increasingly important to stakeholders and regulators. The emergence of effective water management systems empowers the industry to leverage efficiency and reduce its environmental footprint. By delivering immediate, meaningful results, WINT improves the productivity of businesses and drives sustainable construction and building operations.
CLOSING THOUGHT
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are capable of transforming how construction, building operations, and property and facilities management professionals deal with water waste.
About the Author:
Yaron Dycian is chief product and strategy officer for WINT, a groundbreaking software company that produces artificial intelligence-powered leak detection and water management solutions. WINT serves some of the world’s largest organizations including technology, construction, and real estate businesses. For more, visit wint.ai.
Modern Contractor Solutions, April 2023
Did you enjoy this article?
Subscribe to the FREE Digital Edition of Modern Contractor Solutions magazine.
