Chicago, IL | Leak Locate

The challenge

As part of a pilot project, staff at a suburban city water department in the wider Chicago area asked us to use Leak Locate Powered by FIDO AI to help pinpoint a large leak which had evaded detection for two years.

The leaked water was emerging from a storm drain but despite extensive efforts using three types of traditional detection technologies, neither contractors nor in-house teams had been to locate the exact source of leak.

The solution

We deployed eight FIDO sensors to gather overnight acoustic data from the pipeline network in the area around the suspected leak. This data was uploaded to the cloud for analysis by FIDO AI, which confirmed the suspicions of local staff by identifying the presence of a large leak.

We then carried used two of the same sensors in correlation mode to identify a localised point of interest (POI) 334 feet from a driveway apron, which was confirmed by additional sounding by the utility’s water department.

The results

FIDO AI successfully identified and helped pinpoint the exact location of the leak, which was a complete circumferential1/16 inch (0.0625 inches) wide break on a 6-inch metallic water main.

The break was close to a gravel backfill trench around the homeowner’s storm drain which allowed the leaked water to quickly track away from the site of the break.

It eventually infiltrated the drain and travelled to a downstream connection to the city’s main storm drain, where it became detectable at a manhole some distance away.

At a water pressure of 60 psi, this break represented a significant water loss of almost 243 gallons every minute, or nearly 350,000 gallons per day which was costing the city up to $213,043* a year.

*Based on the local water production costs supplied to us by water utility staff.

Leak Locate is an easy way to locate any water leak on any pressurised distribution pipe in any material using FIDO AI.

All-in-one leak location by subscription using an app and a simple hardware device.