System offers reliable method of water-pipe leak testing

Figures from Ofwat, the water services regulation authority for England and Wales, suggest that between 20 and 40 per cent of our total water supply can be lost through damaged pipes.

The system invented at Sheffield is said to test pipes by transmitting a pressure wave along them that sends back a signal if it passes any unexpected features, such as a leak or a crack in the pipe’s surface.

According to a statement, the pressure wave is generated by a valve fitted to an ordinary water hydrant, which is opened and closed rapidly. The wave sends back a reflection, or a signal, if it encounters any anomalous features in the pipe. The strength of that signal can then be analysed to determine the location and the size of the leak.

Originally developed by a team led by Prof Stephen Beck in the university’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, the invention was developed into a prototype device in partnership with colleagues in the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, and Yorkshire Water.