Leak hunters save 550 million litres of drinking water

Specialist crews working for EVN Water save around 550 million litres of drinking water each year by locating leaks in local water pipelines, ORF reported on Wednesday. The water supplier serves 222 municipalities in Lower Austria, at least in parts, and is the province’s largest and Austria’s second-largest water provider.

Leaks are especially wasteful during dry periods. When a local water pipeline breaks, between one-third and one-half of the water can seep into the ground. It is not permanently lost, but it is not available for short-term use.

EVN Water has three crews monitoring 1,447 kilometres of local pipeline networks. They use electronic transmission equipment, but rely above all on highly trained hearing to detect the sound of escaping water.

“A leak produces a frequent sound in a certain range. With my equipment, I can amplify it and pick it out from background noise or the sound of flowing water,” said crew member Manuel Brixner.

Years of experience are also required. Brixner can narrow the location of a leak to within half a metre, allowing the section to be dug up and repaired.

The crews find about 100 breaks each year. EVN spokesperson Stefan Zach said precise repairs save around 1.5 million litres of drinking water per day, or 550 million litres annually, equivalent to the consumption of 10,000 people.

The service is available only to municipalities supplied by EVN Water. Demand is also rising from municipalities seeking to connect to the network, as many struggle with ageing pipelines whose leaks are difficult to locate and allow water to disappear into the ground.