Freeland Municipal Authority Uses Digital Twins to Reduce Water Loss

• Proeksa Meas
• 19 September 2026
• Construction Focus
• 662 Views

Freeland Municipal Authority (FMA) in Pennsylvania is using a digital twin to improve leak detection, reduce nonrevenue water, and strengthen the long-term resilience of its water system.

Serving about 3,900 people, FMA had struggled to identify leaks and track water losses efficiently. The utility often relied on outside companies for leak detection, making the process costly and reactive.

With guidance from Bentley platform partner HRG, FMA adopted OpenFlows WaterSight to create a digital twin of its water network. The utility followed a phased “crawl, walk, run” approach, first connecting existing operational data, then using it to identify trends and receive predictive alerts, and ultimately planning to apply the technology to capital planning, simulations, and optimized operations.

The digital twin has helped FMA shift from reacting to leaks to identifying problems earlier and making repairs before they become more serious. The approach can also reduce operating costs and help the utility make better use of limited resources.

FMA’s experience demonstrates that digital twin technology is not limited to large utilities. A phased approach can allow small and medium-sized water providers to modernize operations, improve efficiency, and build greater resilience without requiring a major upfront investment.

• Bentley
• Digital Twin
• OpenFlows
• Bentley Systems