Pidpa: leveraging SAP BDC for advanced leak detection and predictive water analytics
SAP BDC
SAP Databricks
Pidpa is a Belgian water utility company dedicated to the sustainable production and distribution of drinking water and the management of wastewater. They focus on innovative digital solutions to optimize water network management and infrastructure.
The challenge
Pidpa’s existing leak detection analysis was limited to high-level water balance evaluations for entire areas, comparing total consumption against theoretical night-time values.
They required a more sophisticated solution to integrate actual meter data to specifically identify leaks and provide a foundation for advanced predictive analytics. Technical hurdles, such as performance issues with large-scale data virtualization and complex cloud connectivity, also needed to be addressed..
Our solution
We implemented the SAP BDC Data Platform to serve as a unified integration hub. The technical implementation included:
Broad Connectivity: Establishing connections to S/4HANA, BW/4HANA, GIS, SCADA, and the Smart Water Platform (SWP).
Data Product Development: Creating a specific “Leak Detection” data product
Granular Modeling: Developing logic to compare hourly digital water meter indices with SCADA water balances and theoretical night consumption.
Reporting: Enabling ad-hoc analysis and automated validation reporting via SAP Analytics Cloud.
The business value
Granular Insights: Moved from theoretical area-wide identifications to specific, data-backed insights using actual digital meter information.
Contextual Analysis: By linking maintenance orders and notifications directly to leak data, Pidpa can now explain leakages as specific system events.
Future-Proofing: The platform is designed for expansion, with plans to integrate additional data from sources like the fire department and KLIP/GIPOD.
Advanced Readiness: The “Gold” data layer provides a stable starting point for upcoming SAP Databricks and Machine Learning use cases.
