AcousPrint develops tool to pinpoint ageing pipe leaks

It plans to turn the prototype into a commercial product in two years.

Hong Kong’s AcousPrint Technologies Ltd. is developing a portable ultrasonic tool to pinpoint leaks in ageing water pipes, targeting housing estates, utilities, and other network operators.

“Hong Kong's water loss rate is quite high, with about 30% of supply unaccounted for,” Kin Lau, chief technology officer at AcousPrint, told Hong Kong Business.

The startup’s prototype detects brief sound patterns produced by leaking pipes and uses them to locate the damaged section, Lau said. Each sound pattern lasts about 0.001 seconds.

The tool can find leaks from about two or three metres away, Lau said.

“We try to help the Water Supplies Department and housing estates locate leaks in their utility services,” he said via Zoom. “Even from a distance of about two or three metres away, we are still able to locate it.”

Hong Kong’s government said in May that the water pipe network’s leakage rate fell to about 12.8% in 2025 from 13.4% in 2024. The government aims to reduce the rate below 10% by 2030.

AcousPrint, established in 2024, plans to turn the prototype into a commercial product within two years. Engineers and maintenance teams will be able to operate the tool without specialist assistance, Lau said.

The platform is being used in residential estate projects in Hong Kong, whilst the startup has received enquiries from overseas markets, particularly Singapore.

“It is still at quite an initial phase,” Lau said.

AcousPrint entered Hong Kong Science Park in May and received funding from the park. Lau declined to disclose the amount.