Background
Water leaks can be caused faulty plumbing, overflowing bathtubs, sprinkler incidents or roof leaking. Serious events can have far-reaching consequences for occupants and facility managers. If not properly addressed in a timely manner, they can lead to property depletion and health risks. The severity of these risks depends on the extent of the water damage, the source of the water, and how quickly the water damage is mitigated. To minimize the dangers associated with water leaks, it is recommended that facility managers act quickly to address the issue at hand. In many cases, it is advisable to seek the services of a professional.
1111 Atwater St. is a marquee 38-floor condominium and rental building with 238 units, located in the heart of Montreal. Construction began in early 2020, and in early 2021, our partner, Thingsfactory, was asked to provide a comprehensive solution for water leak detection and protection. Collaborating with the building engineers and developers, Thingsfactory proposed a state-of-the-art solution featuring its BuildUp! building vital signs monitoring platform and Milesight LoRaWAN® detection and control equipment.
Challenges
Preventing water leak damages in a 38-story building in a traditional way is challenging. Water leakages could go unnoticed until it's too late, causing significant damage to the property. According to the insurance industry, water damage claims are one of the most frequent and expensive types of claims filed by property owners in the last 5 years.
Solutions
Installation began in 2020 and was completed in late 2023, coinciding with the building's grand opening. Over 1,200 Milesight EM300-SLD Spot Leakage Detection Sensors were installed in bathrooms, laundry rooms, kitchens, and mechanical rooms. Thingsfactory also deployed more than 140 UC1114 and UC300 controllers, along with 15 Milesight LoRaWAN® gateways, including UG56 Industrial LoRaWAN® Gateway, UG65 Semi-industrial LoRaWAN® Gateway and UG67 Outdoor LoRaWAN® Gateway. The Milesight controllers operate over 150 electromechanical ball and butterfly domestic water valves located in the building's risers and condominiums. Since then, additional Milesight sensors have been added, making this building the smartest and most advanced risk-protected dwelling in Canada.
*The Milesight UC1114 is now upgraded to Milesight UC502 Multi-Interface Controller.
Following this success, Thingsfactory has installed BuildUp! systems in over 20 buildings in Montreal, Quebec, and Ottawa, significantly reducing water damage, increasing property values, and lowering insurance risks for large multi-dwelling property developers.
The basic principle of the solution is that each apartment, condominium, and mechanical room is equipped with EM300-SLD Spot Leakage Detection Sensors, including bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms. When a leak is detected, the MQTT message is decoded by the BuildUp! platform from Thingsfactory, and the corresponding controller shuts off the assigned hot and cold-water valves. UC1114 IoT Controller control 1.5 inches ball valves and 2 1/2 inches butterfly valves on risers. UC300 IoT Controller also control dual hot and cold 3/4 inches ball valves in condominiums.
*The Milesight UC1114 is now upgraded to Milesight UC502 Multi-Interface Controller.
A UG56 Industrial LoRaWAN® Gateway or a UG65 Indoor LoRaWAN® Gateway is installed every two floors in the garbage chute rooms ceiling, connected to a dedicated building VLAN. Additionally, a UG67 Outdoor LoRaWAN® Gateway is located at the top of the building, acting as a master (in fleet mode) and providing a backup cellular connection to the Internet. Each Milesight controller and gateway is connected to the generator, ensuring they remain active in case of a power failure.
The Internet access has triple redundancy. All Milesight device information, MQTT traffic, and time series data are stored on AWS BuildUp! servers, with 30 days of data retained for the customer. The typical time to detect, transmit, activate the valve, and send SMS/email notifications is less than 3 seconds. Although the exact number of detections and valve closures is confidential, the system has provided immediate protection since its pilot and installation began in late 2021, significantly reducing potential damage.
Why Choose Milesight
