Fast broadband will run through water pipes in parts of South Yorkshire, UK, as part of a new trial to get quicker and more reliable internet access to local communities.

The first trial of its kind in the UK will also explore how fibre can help the water industry detect leaks, operate more efficiently and lower the carbon cost of drinking water.

New proposals to accelerate the rollout of broadband without digging up roads will see fibre-optic cables deployed through 17km of live drinking water mains between Barnsley and Penistone. Broadband companies will then be able to tap into the network to deliver connections to an estimated 8,500 homes and businesses along the route.

The Fibre in Water scheme is intended to demonstrate a greener, quicker and more cost-effective way of connecting fibre optic cables to homes, businesses and mobile masts, without the disruption caused by digging up roads and land. The trials will last for up to two years and, if successful, the technology could be operational in networks from 2024 onwards.

In the UK 20 per cent of water put into public supply is lost due to leaks every day and with thousands of miles of pipework, it can be challenging for water companies to quickly identify the exact location of a leak and carry out a repair.

This project, delivered by Yorkshire Water working with Arcadis and University of Strathclyde will test solutions that reduce water leaks by putting fibre sensors in the pipes which allow water companies to improve the speed and accuracy with which they can identify a leak and repair it, often before it causes a problem for consumers. Water companies have committed to delivering a 50% reduction in leakage, and this project could help to reach that goal.

The technology being deployed during the trials has been approved by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI). The DWI requires rigorous testing ahead of approving any products and the processes that introduce them into drinking water pipes, and fibre has already been deployed in water pipes in other countries such as Spain.

“We are very pleased that the Government is supporting the development of the Fibre in Water solution which can reduce the environmental impact and day-to-day disruptions that can be caused by both water and telecoms companies’ activities," said Sam Bright, innovation programme manager at Yorkshire Water.

“The technology for fibre in water has significantly progressed in recent years and this project will now enable us to fully develop its potential to help improve access to better broadband in hard-to-reach areas and further reduce leakage on our networks.”

The first phase of the project, which launched in April 2022, will focus on the legal and safety aspects of this innovative solution, and ensure that combining clean water and telecoms services in a single pipeline is safe, secure and commercially viable before any technology is actually installed.

If successful, the project could be replicated in other parts of the country.