How AI Leak Detection Helped the City of Goodyear Prevent the Next Water Main Failure

Turning a Costly Water Main Break into a Proactive Infrastructure Strategy

When a 12-inch water main at Goodyear Ballpark in Arizona failed unexpectedly, the City of Goodyear lost an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 gallons of treated drinking water. While the immediate repair restored service, city officials recognized a larger challenge: how could they identify hidden leaks before another catastrophic failure occurred?

Rather than waiting for the next break, the City chose to take a proactive approach.

Continuous Monitoring with AI Leak Detection

Working alongside Achen-Gardner, CPM Pipelines, led by Project Manager Mark Messenger, deployed FIDO Tech's AI-powered leak detection technology across six municipal facilities to establish a continuous monitoring program for critical water infrastructure.

Using a network of 25 FIDO sensors, the system continuously collected acoustic data from the water distribution network. Advanced artificial intelligence analyzed the information, while correlation testing and field verification confirmed areas requiring further investigation.

Hidden Leaks Discovered Before Failure

The monitoring program identified three previously undetected leak signatures on a 12-inch ductile iron water main serving Goodyear Ballpark.

What made the findings particularly significant was that the pipeline:

• Showed no visible signs of failure

• Was only 16 years old

• Appeared to be operating normally

Without continuous monitoring, these leaks could have remained undetected until another major water main break occurred.

Data-Driven Asset Management

The leak detection results provided the City with actionable information to support a proactive pipeline replacement decision before the condition worsened.

Instead of reacting to emergency failures, Goodyear now has the data needed to prioritize investments based on actual pipeline condition, helping reduce emergency repairs, minimize service disruptions, and improve long-term infrastructure planning.

Building More Resilient Water Systems

As water utilities across North America face aging infrastructure, rising repair costs, and increasing pressure to conserve water, proactive monitoring is becoming an essential part of asset management.

By leveraging AI-powered leak detection, the City of Goodyear is taking meaningful steps to:

• Detect hidden leaks before they become major failures

• Reduce unnecessary water loss

• Protect critical infrastructure

• Make informed, data-driven capital planning decisions

• Improve long-term system reliability

This project demonstrates how continuous monitoring and advanced analytics can help utilities move from reactive maintenance to proactive infrastructure management—saving water, reducing costs, and preventing future emergencies.