The Role of Leak Detection Technology in Post-Disaster Water Infrastructure Rehabilitation in Central Sulawesi of World Bank CSRRP
Detecting Hidden Water Losses in Post-Tsunami Housing: A Data-Driven Field Study in Central Sulawesi
In the years following the 2018 earthquake and tsunami that severely impacted Palu, Sigi, and Donggala in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia has advanced from emergency response to long-term infrastructure stabilization. Under the Central Sulawesi Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Project (CSRRP), supported by the Government of Indonesia and the World Bank, thousands of permanent housing units, hunian tetap or huntap have been constructed. Each site was designed to include basic urban services, including piped water systems intended to deliver safe and consistent supply to displaced populations.
One such location is Huntap Pombewe, located in Sigi Regency. The area houses several hundred families relocated from zones rendered uninhabitable after the disaster. A complete water distribution system was installed to serve the new community, including pumping, storage, and household-level connections. While initial commissioning reports indicated acceptable flow and pressure, field performance began to show early anomalies, including inconsistent supply patterns and volume mismatches between inflow and household usage.
The Ministry of Public Works and Housing (PUPR), with technical support from the World Bank, initiated a diagnostic review in early 2024 to investigate potential leakage issues in the network. The decision to conduct leak detection was based on a pattern seen in other post-disaster areas: rapid construction under compressed timelines may leave undetected vulnerabilities in buried infrastructure, especially in transition zones between trunk and household lines.
Instead of relying solely on traditional inspection techniques which can be labor-intensive and yield low precision in newly constructed systems, the project applied a data-driven detection method using NELOW, a smart leak detection platform developed by WI.Plat Co., Ltd. The platform integrates real-time hydraulic data, GIS mapping, and machine learning to model potential leak points. This enabled engineers to generate a heatmap of likely anomalies before committing field crews to verification, optimizing both time and resources.
Following the digital assessment, targeted physical inspections were carried out by a coalition of engineering consultants and contractors, including PT Ciriajasa Cipta Mandiri and SUPRA International. Field teams used a combination of ground microphones, pressure loggers, and manual inspection at key connection points to validate the digital findings. The process revealed that multiple leaks were occurring in subsurface connection lines, particularly at junction boxes, meter fittings, and valve enclosures. While none of the leaks represented catastrophic failure, their cumulative impact had already begun contributing to non-revenue water (NRW) and posed long-term sustainability concerns.
The findings triggered a set of remedial actions, ranging from targeted repair and resealing to localized excavation and replacement of compromised joints. Field crews also updated geospatial records to improve traceability of underground assets, a critical factor in system resilience, especially where post-disaster documentation may be incomplete or inconsistent.
An additional element of the initiative was the integration of capacity-building for junior technical personnel from local firms and public institutions. These staff members were involved in end-to-end processes, including data review, field diagnostics, and engineering documentation. While not a primary objective, this component aligns with broader national strategies for improving local ownership and technical self-reliance in infrastructure operations.
The case in Huntap Pombewe has drawn attention from several other regional stakeholders managing post-disaster settlement infrastructure. In environments where infrastructure transitions quickly from temporary to permanent, the ability to evaluate hidden performance risks becomes central to long-term service continuity. Data from the Pombewe project is now being used to inform broader recommendations on commissioning protocols, performance audits, and utility design templates across the CSRRP portfolio.
Beyond this site, similar challenges are being anticipated in other huntap developments in Palu Barat, Petobo, and Donggala. Several of these areas were constructed under overlapping project structures and funding sources, which has introduced variability in asset quality, documentation standards, and operational readiness. Institutions involved in monitoring these areas are assessing whether similar diagnostic tools can be scaled to support infrastructure verification across the region.
As of mid-2024, teams are in the process of aggregating technical reports, GIS layers, and hydraulic performance data into an integrated monitoring dashboard that will be shared across provincial and national agencies. This platform is expected to enhance coordination and accountability in infrastructure management for disaster-affected areas, and may serve as a pilot for wider implementation in other high-risk geographies.
Parallel to these efforts, discussions are ongoing regarding the incorporation of AI-based diagnostics into future PUPR project specifications, especially for small- and medium-scale urban water systems. While traditional methods remain essential for certain contexts, the integration of digital leak detection represents a shift toward evidence-based infrastructure oversight, a trend increasingly relevant amid rising urbanization and climate-related risks.
The situation in Pombewe remains fluid, with additional leak detection activities planned for surrounding sectors of the distribution network. Field engineers continue to refine detection parameters based on localized data patterns, and performance monitoring tools are being calibrated to distinguish between seasonal variation and technical malfunction.
Further updates are expected as the operational dataset grows and validation activities expand. Cross-institutional learning workshops are also being prepared to disseminate technical methodologies and support the replication of effective practices in other provinces.
In the years following the 2018 earthquake and tsunami that severely impacted Palu, Sigi, and Donggala in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia has advanced from emergency response to long-term infrastructure stabilization. Under the Central Sulawesi Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Project (CSRRP), supported by the Government of Indonesia and the World Bank, thousands of permanent housing units, hunian tetap or huntap have been constructed. Each site was designed to include basic urban services, including piped water systems intended to deliver safe and consistent supply to displaced populations.
One such location is Huntap Pombewe, located in Sigi Regency. The area houses several hundred families relocated from zones rendered uninhabitable after the disaster. A complete water distribution system was installed to serve the new community, including pumping, storage, and household-level connections. While initial commissioning reports indicated acceptable flow and pressure, field performance began to show early anomalies, including inconsistent supply patterns and volume mismatches between inflow and household usage.
The Ministry of Public Works and Housing (PUPR), with technical support from the World Bank, initiated a diagnostic review in early 2024 to investigate potential leakage issues in the network. The decision to conduct leak detection was based on a pattern seen in other post-disaster areas: rapid construction under compressed timelines may leave undetected vulnerabilities in buried infrastructure, especially in transition zones between trunk and household lines.
Instead of relying solely on traditional inspection techniques which can be labor-intensive and yield low precision in newly constructed systems, the project applied a data-driven detection method using NELOW, a smart leak detection platform developed by WI.Plat Co., Ltd. The platform integrates real-time hydraulic data, GIS mapping, and machine learning to model potential leak points. This enabled engineers to generate a heatmap of likely anomalies before committing field crews to verification, optimizing both time and resources.
Following the digital assessment, targeted physical inspections were carried out by a coalition of engineering consultants and contractors, including PT Ciriajasa Cipta Mandiri and SUPRA International. Field teams used a combination of ground microphones, pressure loggers, and manual inspection at key connection points to validate the digital findings. The process revealed that multiple leaks were occurring in subsurface connection lines, particularly at junction boxes, meter fittings, and valve enclosures. While none of the leaks represented catastrophic failure, their cumulative impact had already begun contributing to non-revenue water (NRW) and posed long-term sustainability concerns.
The findings triggered a set of remedial actions, ranging from targeted repair and resealing to localized excavation and replacement of compromised joints. Field crews also updated geospatial records to improve traceability of underground assets, a critical factor in system resilience, especially where post-disaster documentation may be incomplete or inconsistent.
An additional element of the initiative was the integration of capacity-building for junior technical personnel from local firms and public institutions. These staff members were involved in end-to-end processes, including data review, field diagnostics, and engineering documentation. While not a primary objective, this component aligns with broader national strategies for improving local ownership and technical self-reliance in infrastructure operations.
The case in Huntap Pombewe has drawn attention from several other regional stakeholders managing post-disaster settlement infrastructure. In environments where infrastructure transitions quickly from temporary to permanent, the ability to evaluate hidden performance risks becomes central to long-term service continuity. Data from the Pombewe project is now being used to inform broader recommendations on commissioning protocols, performance audits, and utility design templates across the CSRRP portfolio.
Beyond this site, similar challenges are being anticipated in other huntap developments in Palu Barat, Petobo, and Donggala. Several of these areas were constructed under overlapping project structures and funding sources, which has introduced variability in asset quality, documentation standards, and operational readiness. Institutions involved in monitoring these areas are assessing whether similar diagnostic tools can be scaled to support infrastructure verification across the region.
As of mid-2024, teams are in the process of aggregating technical reports, GIS layers, and hydraulic performance data into an integrated monitoring dashboard that will be shared across provincial and national agencies. This platform is expected to enhance coordination and accountability in infrastructure management for disaster-affected areas, and may serve as a pilot for wider implementation in other high-risk geographies.
Parallel to these efforts, discussions are ongoing regarding the incorporation of AI-based diagnostics into future PUPR project specifications, especially for small- and medium-scale urban water systems. While traditional methods remain essential for certain contexts, the integration of digital leak detection represents a shift toward evidence-based infrastructure oversight, a trend increasingly relevant amid rising urbanization and climate-related risks.
The situation in Pombewe remains fluid, with additional leak detection activities planned for surrounding sectors of the distribution network. Field engineers continue to refine detection parameters based on localized data patterns, and performance monitoring tools are being calibrated to distinguish between seasonal variation and technical malfunction.
Further updates are expected as the operational dataset grows and validation activities expand. Cross-institutional learning workshops are also being prepared to disseminate technical methodologies and support the replication of effective practices in other provinces.
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