Advancing Water Main Condition Assessment
with Aganova Nautilus®
Randy Lusk, Vice President
October 13, 2026
Large-diameter water mains and transmission pipelines are essential to delivering reliable water service, yet understanding their condition can present significant challenges for utilities. Traditional water main leak detection methods may struggle to identify hidden leaks and anomalies in these critical pipelines, leaving utilities without the detailed information needed to prioritize repairs, reduce water loss, and plan long-term infrastructure improvements.
Through its partnership with Aganova, M.E. Simpson Co., Inc. offers advanced pipeline condition assessment and in-line inspection technology that helps utilities move beyond conventional leak detection. Using Aganova Nautilus® and Smart Condition Assessment (SmCA), utilities can gain valuable insight into the performance and condition of large-diameter water pipelines to support more proactive, data-driven asset management.
Advanced In-Line Pipeline Inspection with Aganova Nautilus®
The Aganova Nautilus® in-line inspection system uses a compact, approximately 2.7-inch, free-swimming, neutrally buoyant sphere that travels with the flow of wa
ter through an operating pipeline. Equipped with advanced acoustic and other sensing capabilities, Nautilus® collects inspection data from within the pipeline to identify potential issues that conventional surface-based leak detection methods may overlook.
This advanced water transmission main inspection technology can help identify and locate:
- Hidden leaks in large-diameter water mains and transmission pipelines
- Air pockets and gas accumulations that may affect system performance
- Potential blockages and other pipeline anomalies
- Areas requiring additional investigation or targeted maintenance
Because Nautilus® inspections can be performed while the pipeline remains pressurized and operational, utilities can gather valuable pipeline integrity and leak detection data with minimal disruption to normal water service.
For utilities managing aging infrastructure, in-line acoustic inspection provides an effective approach to identifying previously undetected water loss, supporting targeted repairs, and improving maintenance planning.
Beyond Leak Detection: Smart Condition Assessment
Identifying leaks is an important part of protecting water infrastructure, but understanding broader pipeline condition is equally critical to preventing unexpected failures and making informed capital improvement decisions.
Building on the capabilities of Nautilus®, Aganova’s Smart Condition Assessment (SmCA) uses data collected during in-line pipeline inspections to provide additional insight into pipeline health. By evaluating magnetic field measurements, pressure information, and statistical patterns, SmCA can identify potential condition changes and indicators associated with corrosion, sedimentation, and other pipeline characteristics.
Unlike traditional approaches that may require more complex inspection procedures, this data-driven, non-destructive methodology helps utilities better understand the condition of their large-diameter water transmission mains without relying exclusively on historical maintenance records or waiting for visible failures.
Smart Condition Assessment is a distinct analytical service that can use data collected during the same field inspection as a Nautilus® leak detection project, helping utilities maximize the value of their inspection efforts.
The resulting information supports risk-based water infrastructure asset management by helping utilities:
- Identify pipeline segments that may require further investigation
- Evaluate potential deterioration and emerging infrastructure risks
- Prioritize maintenance, rehabilitation, and targeted repairs
- Develop more informed capital improvement and replacement plans
- Support long-term water system reliability and infrastructure investment decisions
By combining advanced leak detection with additional pipeline condition indicators, utilities gain a more complete foundation for proactive maintenance and informed decision-making.
Turning Pipeline Condition Data into Better Infrastructure Decisions
Effective water main condition assessment goes beyond locating leaks. It provides the actionable intelligence utilities need to understand infrastructure performance, manage risk, and direct resources where they can deliver the greatest value.
M.E. Simpson Co., Inc. combines decades of water infrastructure expertise with Aganova’s Nautilus® in-line inspection technology and Smart Condition Assessment to help utilities evaluate critical transmission mains and large-diameter water pipelines.
Through advanced acoustic leak detection, pipeline anomaly identification, and data-driven condition assessment, utilities can improve their understanding of buried infrastructure while supporting water loss reduction and long-term asset management initiatives.
This proactive approach helps utilities move away from reactive maintenance practices and toward targeted investments based on actual pipeline inspection findings.
A Proactive Approach to Water Infrastructure Management
As water utilities face growing challenges associated with aging infrastructure, increasing maintenance costs, and limited capital budgets, reliable pipeline condition data becomes essential.
M.E. Simpson Co., Inc. is committed to providing advanced water loss control, pipeline condition assessment, and infrastructure asset management solutions that help utilities protect critical water assets.
Through its partnership with Aganova, M.E. Simpson brings innovative in-line pipeline inspection capabilities to utilities seeking to identify hidden leaks, evaluate pipeline condition, prioritize rehabilitation, and improve long-term system reliability.
Ready to gain a clearer understanding of your water transmission mains? Contact M.E. Simpson Co., Inc. to learn how Aganova Nautilus® and Smart Condition Assessment can support your utility’s pipeline inspection and asset management programs.