What are the latest developments in leak detection and management?
One unintended finding of the Foundation report Residential End Uses of Water (order # 90781) is that leakage problems typically occur in a small number of homes. Nearly 67 percent of homes in the study leaked an average of 10 gallons per day or less. But 5.5 percent of the homes leaked more than 100 gallons per day. To cost-effectively find leak-prone residences, the report suggests that utilities target single-family homes occupied by four persons or less having winter water (essentially indoor) use exceeding 12,000 gallons per month (400 gallons per day). Those residences have a high probability of leaking more than 4,000 gallons per month. Acoustic methods, particularly the cross-correlation method, are useful in detecting leaks in plastic water distribution pipes. Conditions and procedures for effectively locating leaks are contained in the Foundation’s Leak Detection Methods in Plastic Water Distribution Pipes (order # 90770). The report recommends improvements to equipment and f
