A NATIONAL DRINKING WATER CLEARINGHOUSE FACT SHEET

Leak Detection and Water Loss Control

by Zacharia M. Lahlou, Ph.D.
Civil and Environmental Engineer, Wiley and Wilson, Lynchburg, VA

Summary
Utilities can no longer tolerate inefficiencies in water distribution systems and the resulting loss of
revenue associated with underground water system leakage. Increases in pumping, treatment and
operational costs make these losses prohibitive. To combat water loss, many utilities are developing
methods to detect, locate, and correct leaks.

Old and poorly con - In general, a 10 to

structed pipelines, 20 percent allowance
inadequate corrosion for unaccounted-for-
protection, poorly water is normal. But
maintained valves a loss of more than
and mechanical 20 percent requires
damage are some of priority attention
the factors contribut- and corrective
ing to leakage. One actions. However
effect of water leak- advances in tech-
age, besides the loss nologies and expert-
of water resources, is ise should make it
reduced pressure in possible to reduce
the supply system. losses and unac-
Raising pressures Photo by Eric Merrill counted-for-water to
Shawn Menear, a graduate student in Technology
to make up for such less than 10 percent.
Education at West Virginia University, uses geophones to
losses increases listen for water main leaks. Similar to a doctor or nurse's While percentages
energy consumption. stethoscope, geophones are an inexpensive leak detection are great for guide-
This rise in pressure device used by water utilities. lines, a more mean-
makes leaking worse ingful measure is
and has adverse environmental impacts. volume of lost water. Once the volume is
known, revenue losses can be determined and
Of the many options available for conserving cost effectiveness of implementing corrective
water, leak detection is a logical first step. If a action can then be determined.
utility does what it can to conserve water, cus-
tomers will tend to be more cooperative in other Benefits of Leak Detection and Repair
water conservation programs, many of which The economic benefits of leak detection and
hinge on individual efforts. A leak detection repair can be easily estimated. For an individ-
program can be highly visible, encouraging ual leak, the amount lost in a given period of one
people to think about water conservation before time, multiplied by the retail value of that
they are asked to take action to reduce their water will provide a dollar amount. Remember
own water use. Leak detection is an opportuni- to factor in the costs of developing new water
ty to improve services to existing customers and supplies and other “hidden” costs.
to extend services to the population not served.

NATIONAL DRINKING WATER CLEARINGHOUSE

 Leak Detection and Water Loss Control

Some other potential benefits of leak detection There are different types of leaks, including
and repair that are difficult to quantify include: service line leaks, and valve leaks, but in most
• increased knowledge about the distribution cases, the largest portion of unaccounted-for
system, which can be used, for example, to water is lost through leaks in the mains. There
respond more quickly to emergencies and are many possible causes of leaks, and often a
to set priorities for replacement or rehabili- combination of factors leads to their occurrence.
tation programs; The material, composition, age, and joining
• more efficient use of existing supplies and methods of the distribution system components
delayed capacity expansion; can influence leak occurrence. Another related
• improved relations with both the public and factor is the quality of the initial installation of
utility employees; distribution system components. Water condi-
• improved environmental quality; tions are also a factor, including temperature,
• increased firefighting capability; aggressiveness, and pressure. External condi-
• reduced property damage, reduced legal tions, such as stray electric current; contact
liability, and reduced insurance because with other structures; and stress from traffic
of the fewer main breaks; and vibrations, frost loads, and freezing soil around
• reduced risk of contamination. a pipe can also contribute to leaks. All water
plants will benefit from a water accounting sys-
Causes of Leaks tem that helps track water throughout the dis-
Water produced and delivered to the distribution tribution system and identifies areas that may
system is intended to be sold to the customer, need attention, particularly large volumes of
not lost or siphoned from the distribution sys- unaccounted-for water.
tem without authorization. Not long ago, water
companies sold water at a flat rate without Leak Detection and Repair Strategy
metering. As water has become more valuable There are various methods for detecting water
and metering technology has improved, more distribution system leaks. These methods usu-
and more water systems in the U.S. meter ally involve using sonic leak-detection equip-
their customers. Although all customers may ment, which identifies the sound of water
be metered in a given utility, a fairly sizable escaping a pipe. These devices can include pin-
portion of the water most utilities produce does point listening devices that make contact with
not pass through customer meters. Unmetered valves and hydrants, and geophones that listen
water includes unauthorized uses, including directly on the ground. In addition, correlator
losses from accounting errors, malfunctioning devices can listen at two points simultaneously
distribution system controls, thefts, inaccurate to pinpoint the exact location of a leak. (See
meters, or leaks. Some unauthorized uses may the drawing on page 3.)
be identifiable. When they are not, these unau-
thorized uses constitute unaccounted-for Large leaks do not necessarily contribute to a
water. Some unmetered water is taken for greater volume of lost water, particularly if water
authorized purposes, such as fire fighting and reaches the surface; they are usually found
flushing and blowoffs for water-quality rea- quickly, isolated, and repaired. Undetected
sons. These quantities are usually fairly small. leaks, even small ones, can lead to large quanti-
The primary cause of excessive unaccounted- ties of lost water since these leaks might exist
for water is often leaks. for long periods of time. Ironically, small leaks
are easier to detect
because they are noisier
Calculating Unaccounted-for Water and easier to hear using
hydrophones. The most
Unaccounted-for water is the difference between water produced (metered at difficult leaks to detect
the treatment facility) and metered use (i.e., sales plus non-revenue producing and repair are usually
metered water). Unaccounted-for water can be expressed in millions of gallons those under stream
per day (mgd) but is usually discussed as a percentage of water production: crossings.
two
Unaccounted-for water (%) = (Production - metered use) x 100% Leak detection efforts
(Production) should focus on the por-
tion of the distribution

Tech Brief • Leak Detection and Water Loss Control • May 2001
 Deciding whether to emphasize detection and
Listening for Leaks repair over replacement depends upon site-
specific leakage rates and costs. In general,
detection and repair result in an immediate
reduction in lost water, whereas replacement
will have a longer-lasting impact to the extent
that it eliminates the root cause of leaks.

The most important factor in a leak detection

and repair program is the need for accurate,
detailed records that are consistent over time
and easy to analyze. Records concerning water
production and sales, and leak and break costs
and benefits, will become increasingly important
as water costs and leak and break damage costs
increase and as leak detection and rehabilitation
programs become more important. In order to
optimize these programs by allocating funds in
such a way that results in the greatest net bene-
fits, adequate information is needed on which to
base decisions and determine needs. Three sets
An important goal of leak detection is to find exactly where a of records should be kept: (1) monthly reports on
leak is located. Typically, the louder the noise, the closer you unaccounted-for water comparing cumulative
are to the leak. Small leaks under high pressure usualy make sales and production (for the last 12 months, to
more noise than larger leaks under low pressure. In fact, many
large leaks make almost no sound whatsoever.
adjust discrepancies caused by the billing cycle);
(2) leak-repair report forms; and (3) updated
maps of the distribution system showing the
system with the greatest expected problems, location, type, and class of each leak.
including:
• areas with a history of excessive leak and Coordinating Leak Detection and Repair
break rates; with Other Activities
• areas where leaks and breaks can result In addition to assisting with decisions about
in the heaviest property damage; rehabilitation and replacement, the leak detec-
• areas where system pressure is high; tion and repair program can further other
• areas exposed to stray electric current and water utility activities, including:
traffic vibration; • inspecting hydrants and valves in a distri-
• areas near stream crossings; and bution system;
• areas where loads on pipe exceed design • updating distribution system maps;
loads. • using remote sensor and telemetry tech-
nologies for ongoing monitoring and analy-
Of course, detecting leaks is only the first step sis of source, transmission, and distribution
in eliminating leakage. Leak repair is the more facilities. Remote sensors and monitoring
costly step in the process. Repair clamps, or software can alert operators to leaks, fluctu-
collars, are the preferred method for repairing ations in pressure, problems with equipment
small leaks, whereas larger leaks may require integrity, and other concerns; and
replacing one or more sections of pipe. • inspecting pipes, cleaning, lining, and other
maintenance efforts to improve the distri-
On average, the savings in water no longer lost to bution system and prevent leaks and rup-
leakage outweigh the cost of leak detection and tures from occurring. Utilities might also
repair. In most systems, assuming detection is consider methods for minimizing water used
followed by repair, it is economical to completely in routine water system maintenance.
survey the system every one to three years.
Beyond Leak Detection and Repair
Instead of repairing leaking mains, some argue Detecting and repairing leaks is only one water three
it is preferable to replace more leak-prone (gen- conservation alternative; others include: meter
erally older) pipes. Selecting a strategy depends testing and repair/replacement, rehabilitation
upon the frequency of leaks in a given pipe and and replacement programs, installing flow-
the relative costs to replace and repair them. reducing devices, corrosion control, water pricing

NATIONAL DRINKING WATER CLEARINGHOUSE

 policies that encourage conservation, public U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1998.
education programs, pressure reduction, Water Conservation Plan Guidelines.
requests for voluntary cutbacks or bans on Washington, D.C.: Office of Water. EPA-832-
certain water uses, and water recycling. D-98-001

Where can I find more information? For further information, comments about this
Jeffs, C., C. Lloyd, and D. Pospishill. 1989. An fact sheet, or to suggest topics, contact Lahlou
Introduction to Water Loss and Leak via e-mail at [email protected].
Detection. Duncan OK: National Rural
Water Association.
Mays, W. L. 2000. Water Distribution Systems Zacharia M. Lahlou, Ph.D ., formerly
Handbook. American Water Works technical assistance coordinator with the
Association. New York: McGraw-Hill. National Drinking Water Clearinghouse,
Moyer, E. M. 1985. Economics of Leak is a civil and environmental engineer with
Detection: A Case Study Approach. Denver: Wiley & Wilson, Lynchburg, VA. Lahlou
American Water Works Association received a doctorate in Environmental
Pask, David. “50 Percent Loss? How to Detect and Natural Resources Economics, an MBA and a
Small Utility Water Leaks.” On Tap. Winter Master of Science in Civil and Environmental
1993. Morgantown WV: National Drinking Engineering from West Virginia University. He may be
Water Clearinghouse. reached by e-mail at [email protected].

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