Underground water leaks often have very few signs. Your water bill may go up exponentially with no clear reason, or you may hear running water, but there are no physical, visible signs to back it up. This can make you feel like you’re imagining things, but we promise you’re not.
Underground water leaks can waste litres of water with no visible signs. The sounds can be real, the water is simply rushing in place where you can’t see it – generally underneath the soil or concrete.
The best part is, water leak detection specialists can make the invisible, visible. With advanced underground leak detection methods and expertise, we can uncover the leaks that leave you mystified.
Why Underground Leaks are so Difficult to Detect
Underground leaks are some of the most difficult to detect. They are uniquely challenging in the way that they can occur with minimal or no visible cues. While some underground leaks may cause visible puddling, wet patches, or erosion, many can occur with no signs at all, besides a water metre that keeps clicking over silently, an unusually high water bill weeks or months down the line, or maybe a running water sound if you’re lucky.
Moreover, when underground leaks do show signs, sometimes they can appear far from the initial source. Water can travel long distances underground, causing wet patches to appear metres from the origin point.
Since these leaks can be difficult to detect, it’s not uncommon for them to go unnoticed and unaddressed for many days or weeks, until you see the excess water charges on your utility bill.
How Much Water Does a Hidden Underground Leak Waste?
Underground water leaks can waste hundreds of litres of water with little to no warning.
We recently had a case where an underground leak was wasting 400mL/min, and this is not an unusual amount of water. 400mL may not seem like a lot to begin with, but over an hour this adds up to 24L, and 576L over the course of a day. That’s the equivalent of four baths, six 10-minute showers, 38 dishwasher cycles or 96 toilet flushes. And if the leak was left for a full week, that would be 4,032L wasted, and charged in excess water usage on the next bill.
Every minute, hour, day, and week that an underground leak goes undetected the costs increase, as does the wastage of one of our most precious resources. That’s why it’s essential to address leaks as soon as you suspect them.
Unexplained High Water Bill or Sound of Running Water?
Do not tear up your lawn, driveway, or polished concrete slab on guesswork. LeakTech’s acoustic ground microphones listen through soil, concrete, and paving to locate the exact leak coordinates down to the centimetre.
How Acoustic Leak Detection Equipment Helps
One of the best ways to detect and locate hidden underground leaks is with acoustic detection equipment. These specialised tools can pick up on sounds, vibrations, and low-frequency noises that can’t be detected by the naked human ear.
Underground water leaks always make noise, even if we can’t hear it. Whether it’s a hiss or drip, water makes some kind of detectable sound when exiting the pipe. Acoustic detection equipment can detect these noises through soil or concrete, allowing leak detection specialists to detect and locate hidden leaks quickly, accurately and with minimal excavation required.
Once we pinpoint the source of the leak, we can dig in just that targeted area to expose it and implement repairs. This ensures minimal damage to cement slabs, gardens, lawn, or any other structures covering the leak.
How We Found Hidden Garden Leak Recently
As mentioned above, we were recently called out to a property with a leak hidden below their garden bed. There were no obvious signs of a leak from above ground. Just an unexplainably high water bill and a metre that kept ticking over to the point of 400mL/min. It could barely even be heard when inspecting from the surface, but when the acoustic detection equipment came out, it was clear there was an issue.
Using acoustic detection equipment, we were able to hear the leak clearly and pinpoint the location, allowing us to dig up just a small section under the garden bed to expose it. This then allowed for targeted pipe repairs with minimal disruption and damage to the beautiful flower garden our client was growing.
How Leak Detection Specialists can Pinpoint the Leak You Can’t See
Every drop counts, and sometimes the quietest and most elusive leaks have the biggest impact over time. Underground water leaks can waste hundreds or even thousands of litres over time if not detected and addressed quickly.
Fortunately, water leak detection specialists have the tools and expertise to locate the most silent or invisible leaks. Using specialised acoustic detection equipment, we can hear the sounds that our ears naturally can’t and pinpoint the leaks that can’t be seen from the surface.
If you suspect you have a hidden leak, give LeakTech a call today to book an underground leak detection service and minimise water waste and costs fast.
