News

Caravan Park experiences increase in water costs due to an underground water leak.

Author: Graham Mann, Water Audit Expert.

A caravan park in Birmingham received a large water bill, the owners confirmed increases in water use by taking daily and overnight water meter readings. It was confirmed that there were water losses somewhere on the network, the value of the underground water leak was in excess of £ 10,000 per year.

Reports had been received by the site manager that loss of water pressure was being experienced by a couple of caravan owners, which often indicates a water leak or burst underground as there was no visual indication of water rising above ground which is often the case with water leaks on underground supply pipes. The engineers decided to use sensitive electronic acoustic equipment which picks up the leak noise from the pipe, the acoustic equipment was placed on a water pipe inside a small out building and a leak noise was recorded.

Photo 1: – Leak noise acoustic reading recorded on water supply pipe.

 Further investigations revealed water getting into a drain adjacent to the water supply, using an endoscope it was confirmed water was leaking into the drain.

Photo 2: – Water ingress into the drain.

 Another acoustic reading was taken to confirm the exact water leak location.                                               Photo 3: – Exact leak location.

The excavation and water leak repair area was marked off.

Photo 4: – Excavation and repair area.

 The excavation revealed a water leak.

Photos 5 & 6: – Water leak.