Locate Water Leaks with Noise Monitors

Yorkshire Water has installed 196 Permalog+ leak noise monitors with the PermaNet system from Halma Water Management (UK) in the Monk Bretton District Metered Area in Barnsley as part of a pilot scheme.
The DMA covers 45km of pipes of various materials, and services approximately 3900 properties. In the first 3 months after installation, the average time taken to sweep the area for leaks was recorded as 25 hours, with the more recent sweeps taking only 10. Using traditional methods the average had been over 3 times longer, at 85 hours per sweep. Therefore, even allowing a learning curve for the
new technology, PermaNet`s monitoring capabilities are proving to be over three times more efficient than older systems.
With the monitoring capabilities of the Permalog+, the DMA also recorded a new 5-year low for night flow, reduced by 40% in just 3 months. The ability of the system to locate leaks by measuring noise levels combined with an immediate comparison of flow rates allows for the identification of previously `undetectable` leaks which would contribute significantly to `lost` or `non-revenue` water.
When installed with PermaNet radios, the Permalog+ units transmit the data they have recorded to a central computer. The PermaNet program then compiles this data to produce live information maps, alerts, and historical data for analysis. The units can also be configured to send an immediate `alarm` state as soon as they detect a leak, vastly cutting the time needed to begin fixing the problem and return the pipe network to maximum efficiency.