Digitizing water infrastructure with PIX4D
MWH Treatment, the leading UK water infrastructure asset management and maintenance provider, first introduced PIX4D as a targeted project to solve a specific client challenge around improving underground asset capture. The successful trial quickly proved its value.
Scaling PIX4Dcatch across sites
MWH Treatment invested in 12 devices across the business, which will be scaled in 2027. The devices have only been deployed for a few months and already 14 active sites are being continually scanned at key stages.
“After conducting trials to integrate PIX4D into our 3D models for initial trial sites, we’ve found the marker tool especially helpful for capturing service information. Through this process, we’ve observed that entering data in a consistent format allows for a smoother workflow and less manual input for our CAD team." - MWH Civil Team
- Scale of projects product used for: from £90M to mega-£150M value
- Active users: 73 users across engineering, construction, and site-based functions.
Why MWH Treatment chose PIX4D
- Improved trial hole data: to enhance data capture at the pre-construction phase. Improve risk management and "right-first-time" design for trial hole information
- Utility safety:reduce service strikes through better data capture
- Digital integration: incorporate temporary site states directly into models
- Comprehensive as-builts: capture as-laid, as-found, and unidentified underground assets
As a large enterprise, MWH Treatment chose a centralized approach over a regionalized one to ensure consistency across operations.
90% reduction in recording time and costs with PIX4Dcatch
MWH Treatment found that using an Emlid RTK device with PIX4Dcatch improves accuracy, efficiency, and record quality by capturing centimetre-level coordinates for installed pipework, underground utilities, and trial holes.
This helped them to reduce reliance on manual mark-ups, minimize rework, and support faster as-built production. They project potentially cutting recording time and associated costs by around 90%.
The resulting detailed, geolocated documentation also strengthened quality control, simplified handover, and provided reliable information for future maintenance, inspections, and construction planning.
Why PIX4D adoption took off on-site
They found its ease of use, with minimal training for site operatives, helped adoption. PIX4Dcatch also allowed them to capture data that could save lives by minimizing service strike risk. It accelerated their data exchange from site capture to integration with the 3D model, resulting in more informed design and delivery decisions.
“PIX4D has been a game-changer for MWH Treatment, enabling us to significantly reduce the risk of service strikes while providing our frontline teams with a powerful tool for both current operations and future asset management." - Clare Taylor, Head of Digital Delivery, MWH Treatment
Key benefits of using PIX4Dcatch for water infrastructure documentation:
99% improvement in accuracy for asset capture
- Current underground capture +/-1 m from mark-up
- PIX4D +/- 1 cm accuracy (demonstrated in trials)
- A 99% improvement in accuracy of underground record capture for as-built, as-laid, and as-found services, which can only support reducing service strike figures
Data availability
Real-time 3D model outputs are available to all allocated stakeholders at all times, supporting their digital initiative. The right information at the fingertips of the right people at the right time.
Eliminating manual measurements results in huge logistical overhead savings
Capturing trial-hole data digitally could deliver millions in regional savings across the United Utilities AMP8 portfolio. (United Utilities is the UK’s largest listed water company, serving over 7 million people). Approximately 82% of this saving comes from removing the need for dedicated site measurement and coordination, while 18% comes from more efficient trial-pit logging.
Estimated ¼ million pounds to be saved with capturing digital as-builts
Capturing as-builts digitally could eliminate roughly 85% of time wasted chasing missing details, reviewing mark-ups, and handling queries, while cutting the remaining 15% lost to engineers revisiting sites. Scaled across the United Utilities portfolio, this efficiency alone could save £250,000.
Digital underground utility capture across water projects
By replacing manual measurements with smartphone scanning, MWH Treatment has turned asset capture into a fast, repeatable standard across its major water infrastructure projects. Achieving 1-centimetre accuracy in site trials not only drastically reduces the life-threatening risk of service strikes, but also saves significant time and millions in operational overhead.
As MWH Treatment scales PIX4D across more sites ahead of 2027, this centralized digital workflow ensures project teams and asset owners hold reliable and long-term digital survey-grade 3D records.
“By capturing highly accurate as-built records of underground infrastructure, we are helping to safeguard future teams and our clients. The step change from metre-level to millimetre-level accuracy means we are now working with data that is more reliable, more valuable and more actionable. While adoption is still at an early stage, I am excited about the opportunities this technology presents and the transformative impact it could have across our business." - Clare Taylor, Head of Digital Delivery, MWH Treatment
