School District Turns to Smart Leak Detection After Costly Flood Incident

What the Client Needed

The Jericho School District experienced a costly incident when a waterline break flooded an electrical switchgear room, causing a major power outage and creating significant safety concerns. Many of the district’s buildings, some dating back decades, lacked any form of dedicated leak detection or prevention system. Existing alerts were limited to indirect warnings such as fire alarms or gas detection systems, offering little to no early warning for water-related issues. After the incident, district leaders sought a proactive solution that could help prevent similar events from occurring anywhere across their facilities.

Solution

To address the risk, the district installed the Leak Defense System as a comprehensive, district-wide solution. The process began with detailed walkthroughs of each building to assess infrastructure, identify water mains, and locate high-risk areas such as electrical rooms, boiler rooms, and crawl spaces. Based on these evaluations, a customized system was designed for each facility. The solution included master shutoff valves installed on main water lines, along with strategically placed sensors and monitoring devices throughout critical areas. These systems were integrated with a connected platform that delivers real-time alerts via text, email, and mobile app. Initial installations were completed in five schools, with system settings calibrated to account for varying water usage patterns in environments like high schools with kitchens, boilers, and pools.

Results

The district has gained immediate visibility into its water systems, allowing maintenance staff to respond quickly to irregularities before they escalate into major issues. Real-time alerts are delivered across multiple channels, helping the appropriate personnel take action without delay. The system also provides clear location data, making it easier to identify and address potential problems efficiently. Feedback from the district has been very positive, with teams highlighting the speed of alerts, ease of use, and overall confidence the system provides. What started as a response to a single incident has evolved into a proactive strategy to protect facilities, reduce risk, and avoid future costly disruptions.