Wajima City – Satellite image analysis

Water leaks survey using AI analysis

Wajima City will use artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze satellite image data and begin investigating where water pipes are leaking. Large-scale water leaks continue due to the New Year’s Day earthquake, and cutting-edge technology is being used to quickly repair them.

As the analysis is aimed at supporting the recovery efforts, The Israeli infrastructure analysis company ASTERRA and its Japanese partner Japan 21 (Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture) will carry the costs of the survey and provide the data to the city free of charge.

Microwaves are irradiated from a satellite to the earth’s surface, and the reflection from tap water is detected using AI analysis. Drinking water has fewer impurities and has different characteristics from other types of water such as rivers, so the location of the leak can be narrowed down in units of half to 100 meters radius location.

According to the city, water pipes damaged by the earthquake continue to leak throughout the city, and currently approximately 1,600 m³ (the equivalent of three 25-meter swimming pools) are leaking per day.