Sharp-eared resident saves thousands of litres of water

17 Jul 2008

Thousands of litres of precious water has been saved thanks to a local resident hearing rushing water in a storm water drain, with not a drop of rain in sight.

The resident approached Power and Water Corporation contractors relocating fire hydrants underground in Jingili and they quickly called in Power and Water’s Leak Detection Van. 

The Leak Detection Van is equipped with highly sensitive listening probes that the operator uses to pinpoint underground leaks that can’t be seen on the surface (such as pools of water or very green patches of grass).

In this case, while water was seen rushing through a storm water pit, it wasn’t the site of the actual leak in the water main.  The broad area of the possible leak was worked out firstly by ‘listening’ between house water meters and then gradually narrowing the area down to just half a square metre indicated by volume and intensity of the soundings.
The repair crew was on the job straight away and the leak fixed without having to dig up half the road and inconvenience traffic and residents. When you consider what the disruption might be across a six, lane highway to find a leak, the value of this equipment is even more apparent.

While the Leak Detection Van routinely checks water supply pipes in the city for possible, unreported leaks by leaving listening probes in water valves that monitors the sounds and frequencies of pipes, Power and Water encourages residents to call in any suspicious rushing or trickling water they may see or hear by phoning 1800 245 092.
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