WET News

Listening sticks have traditionally been used to help detect water leaks, but as the digital era evolves can drones with thermal imaging do the job? Leak detection with altitude A s the digital world becomes ever more present and so leak detection is also being transformed. The traditional method of detecting leaks through the use of listening sticks would seem to be being superseded by more modern means – pressure man- agement, intelligent systems, for instance. And then there is the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones as they are better known as. Research has found that cameras flown on drones could be used to detect leaking under- ground water pipes over hun- dreds of miles. South West Water (SWW) and Anglian Water are among the water companies that are looking at the potential of using drones for detecting leaks. SWW has been working with the University of Exeter to test the use of drone technology and thermal imaging for leak detec- tion. Laboratory tests of the thermal cameras have proved positive and field-scale trials have been planned for this year. The technology works by attaching a thermal sensor to a drone which is then flown along pipeline routes particularly in rural locations. The thermal sensor can detect differences in soil temperature which can be caused by an escape of water. SWW said that with 18,000kms of pipe, much of it in rural and remote areas, and more than a million service con- nections to customers the tech- nology could help reduce the cost of leak detection and repair by pinpointing more exactly the location of a leak, particularly in rural locations where tradi- tional methods are less effective. The company is a leading company for tackling leakage, with performance twice as good as the UK water industry aver- age for water lost per kilometre of main. Leakage has reduced by 40% since the early 1990s and nowadays most visible leaks are repaired with 72 hours. Bob Taylor, director of drink- ing water services, says: "Water is part of our region's natural capital. It is a precious resource and, especially once it's been treated, we all need to use it wisely and not waste it. Finding a cost-effective method of find- ing large escapes of treated water has the potential to help save water and make our service more efficient, which is why we're continuing this trial with the university to test the tech- nology on a landscape scale." The pilot is one of several projects being led by the South West Partnership for Environ- ment & Economic Prosperity (SWEEP), funded by the Natural Environment Research Council. Anglian Water, meanwhile, has been using thermal imaging drones to detect leaking water pipes in the rural villages of Southery and Wissington, Nor- folk, and the company plans to trial the new technology more over the coming months. Soil temperature With nearly 24,000 miles of water pipe to keep an eye on, much of it in rural and remote areas, Anglian Water hopes the aerial technology will help reduce the cost and time taken to find a leak and pinpoint its location more precisely by spot- ting changes in soil temperature near the water pipes. "The drones are just the lat- est weapon in our £60M war on leakage," says Anglian Water's Emma Staples. "We're testing other high-tech tools and have put more boots on the ground. Our 300-strong leakage team now includes new detection teams tasked with uncovering hard-to-find leaks, who have been given specialist training on how to use the new drone technology. "We've also invested millions to better manage the water pres- sure in our network of pipes, dramatically reducing the num- ber of bursts." The company's focus on an innovative approach is paying dividends; last year Anglian's leakage level was the lowest in the country and less than half the national average. "We hate leaks as much as our customers do and we're determined to keep reducing them," Staples continued. "Our targets are already way beyond those of other water companies and we're always looking for new ways to push things forward. "The drones have already saved us time and money find- ing and fixing hard-to-spot leaks. We'll continue to trial them over the coming months, focusing on leaks in and around Newmarket where our innova- tion hub, the Shop Window, is based. Leading on leakage reduction is what our customers told us they wanted. It's the right thing to do for them and the environment. It also helps to increase of region's resilience to drought." The drones will also help Anglian Water minimise disrup- tion for customers, by covering large distances in a short space of time. The sensor and camera on the drone can identify differ- ences in soil temperature which could be caused by water escap- ing from the pipe. These differ- ences are then investigated fur- ther by a leakage technician on-site, rather than needing to be analysed back in the office. £60M Anglian Water has £60M for its war chest to tackle the problem of leakage in its region. 42,000km Between them, South West Water and Anglian Water are responsible for around 42,oookms of pipes, much of which is in rural and remote areas. 40% South West Water has reduced leakage by 40% since the early 1990s. It aims to repair visible leaks within 72 hours. need to know 16 wet newS MAY 2017 SPECIAL REPORT Leakage management Specialist training is needed to fly the drones, which are seen as a potential aid to locating leakage

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