Push to put plug in water leaks

By Dion Teasdale
YARRA Valley Water has embarked on its annual leak detection program, promising major water savings for the region.
Since it began in 2003, the program has resulted in water savings of approximately 650 Olympic-size swimming pools.
During the current program, which will conclude in June, the water authority will be checking for leaks in water mains across the Yarra Valley.
Suburbs included in the program are Coldstream, Healesville, Lilydale, Millgrove, Mooroolbark, Seville, Yarra Glen, Yellingbo, Warburton, Woori Yallock, and Chirnside Park.
Yarra Valley Water managing director Tony Kelly said the leak detection program aimed to identify and repair leaks in areas reporting high water readings.
He said targeted suburbs had been identified using data from Yarra Valley Water’s zone-metering program, which uses dozens of in-ground flow metres.
“We developed the leak detection program to prevent water wastage and to help conserve water for the future,” Mr Kelly said.
“The program surveys 1000 kilometres of water mains a year, and in only two and a half years has resulted in more than 1300ml of water saving – that’s around 650 Olympic-size swimming pools.”
To identify water leaks in the underground infrastructure, Yarra Valley Water crews work in pairs using the latest technology to detect leak noise via hydrants and valves, Mr Kelly said.
“There are two ways crews can identify a leak. They can listen for leak noise in the mains by using headphones to amplify the sound, (or) a small, sophisticated ‘pod’, called a correlating noise logger, is magnetically attached to a hydrant or valve,” Mr Kelly said.
“Once the leaks are detected and pinpointed, they are programmed for repair by maintenance teams.”
Mr Kelly said that while the program focuses on rectifying leaks in Yarra Valley Water pipes, crews will also alert private residents in writing if they suspect a leak is occurring on the residents’ property.
“The easiest way for residents to check if they have a leak, and therefore need to enlist the help of a plumber, is to check their water metre reading before bed,” says Mr Kelly.
“If no water has been used overnight, and the metre has changed, then there is likely to be a leak. In this case, we advise prompt action to prevent unnecessary water loss.”
Yarra Valley Water customers who suspect a water leak on their property can contact Yarra Valley Water Customer Support on 13 WATER (13 92837) for direction or assistance.