Yorkshire Water to install acoustic loggers in pipe networks

Yorkshire Water has announced plans to install 34,000 acoustic microphones, or loggers, in its pipe network in a bid to reduce leakage.

Loggers continuously listen to the water flow in the pipes and then trigger an alarm if they hear any variation.

According to Yorkshire Water, they are capable of identifying leaks within a 150-metre radius.

Information from the loggers is then sent to Yorkshire Water’s data team, who analyse the sounds in order to determine if a leak has in fact occurred.

If an issue is detected, a leakage technician is then dispatched to find the exact location and repair the pipe.

During previous trials, 600 loggers were installed in pipes in West Yorkshire, identifying 35 underground leaks in one month, helping save roughly 86,400 litres of water.

The company will invest £10 million in the technology, installing 34,000 more by October, meaning they will cover 20 per cent of its water distribution area.

With the aid of the loggers, Yorkshire Water aims to reduce leakage by 15 per cent by 2020, and a further 25 per cent by 2025.

Martyn Hattersley, head of leakage operations at Yorkshire Water, said: “It will give us a much greater understanding and visibility of what is happening in some of the areas most prone to leaks. By installing these devices we will help our leakage technicians save millions of litres of water being wasted which will improve our water sustainability and reduce roadwork impact on customers.”

The technology has already been adopted by other water companies, such as Affinity Water and Thames Water.

Earlier this week, the water industry pledged to triple leakage reduction rates by 2030, as part of a new sector-wide initiative to work in the public interest.