City of Goodyear, Arizona | Leak Locate

Using FIDO Leak Locate, City of Goodyear detected three unknown leaks on ductile iron mains with no visible signs of failure, including a faulty gasket that could have developed into a catastrophic blowout if left unrepaired.

The challenge

Following a catastrophic 12-inch water main failure at Goodyear Ballpark, the City of Goodyear was looking for a proactive approach to leak detection and asset management. The burst released more than 500,000 gallons of water, flooding the field, dugout and underground clubhouse, causing over $1.5 million in damage and putting the facility out of full service for more than three months.

As the spring training home of the Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds, Goodyear Ballpark is a major economic asset for the city. The failed ductile iron main had been installed only 16 years earlier, raising concerns about the condition of other critical assets across the network and the risk of further unexpected failures.

The solution

To help identify hidden leaks before they became costly incidents, the City’s repair contractor Achen-Gardner worked with FIDO distributor CPM Pipelines to deploy FIDO Leak Locate as a monitoring solution at six municipal facilities including Goodyear Ballpark.

Twenty-five FIDO acoustic sensors were installed on key fittings approximately 100 feet apart to maximise network coverage. Using FIDO’s simple magnetic deployment method, the sensors were quickly set up for continual monitoring through the FIDO app.

Acoustic data collected from the network was analysed by FIDO’s cloud-based AI, which automatically filtered out background and operational noise to accurately identify genuine leak signatures. Once leaks were detected, the same sensors were redeployed in correlation and sounding modes to pinpoint their exact locations, enabling efficient investigation and repair.

By combining leak detection, localization and repair verification in a single platform, FIDO provided a cost-effective and scalable solution for proactive infrastructure management.

The results

FIDO Leak Locate identified three previously unknown leak signatures on the ductile iron main serving Goodyear Ballpark. Then, using FIDO’s correlation and sounding capabilities, CPM Pipelines successfully traced each leak to its precise location.

One leak was discovered on an above-ground section of pipe, providing immediate visual confirmation of the FIDO results. More significantly, FIDO detected a leak on a section of pipeline showing no visible signs of distress and operating under normal conditions.

Excavation revealed a leaking gasket that had been incorrectly seated during installation. Left unresolved, the defect could have developed into a major failure within the next two years.

The successful trial demonstrated FIDO’s ability to uncover hidden defects before they escalate into costly network failures. As a result, Achen-Gardner has adopted FIDO Leak Locate as part of its leak detection toolkit, while the City of Goodyear is exploring its use for proactive lift-and-shift surveys across the wider distribution network.

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.