The Definitive Guide to Water Leak Correlators
In this article we cover water leak correlators. We will cover what they are, what they are used for, how they work, the various components of leak correlator equipment, how to use a leak correlator, and how to decide if a water leak correlator is the right tool for your projects. Please continue reading to learn more.
Leaks in Water Supply Systems
Municipal and rural water supply systems often have hundreds of miles of pipelines. With such large systems, primarily located underground, leaks are bound to occur and may not be immediately detected. A handful of small leaks usually will not cause major issues, but given time, these leaks can increase in number an in size. The aggregate water loss from these leaks can cause major water pressure issues on supply lines and can cause significant property damage as well as the cost of lost water.
Many water supply systems are equipped with pressure sensors that will alert management if a large loss of pressure is detected on a section of pipeline. However, if numerous small leaks appear gradually, or if a single small leak gradually grows, the pressure loss may go unnoticed.
Due to the potential for system wide water loss and, in extreme cases, failure of a water supply system entirely, all municipal water supply organizations should have water leak audits or surveys as part of their regular maintenance programs.
Water Leak Correlators can identify leak locations before they become a problem
Water leak correlators are effective and efficient systems for performing water system audits and leak pinpointing. They allow large sections of water supply lines to be surveyed for leaks over several city blocks at a time and can pinpoint precise leak locations using computer-based modelling.
Correlators can reduce water line repair costs related to system downtime, mis-location of leaks, and extra work hours. They can also help to keep public stakeholders and city councils happy due to fewer road and sidewalk closures and they can help to keep maintenance projects well under budget.
What is a Leak Correlator
Water leak correlators are acoustic listening devices designed to perform water leak audits on a system wide basis. In a leak correlator, sounds received by listening devices placed inside a pipeline network are interpreted by a computer processing unit. The computer receives data from multiple water lines at once and can correlate the data to identify which lines are leaking and where the leak is located. Water leak correlators generally have two primary components, the Main Processor Unit, and a series of Pre-Amplifier Transmitters.
How does a leak correlator work
A leak correlator is designed to record the sounds of leaks inside a pipeline. The data collected from these sounds is then transmitted to a main computer processor unit along with the exact GPS recorded location of each transmitter.
The computer processor in the leak correlator then uses operator inputs of the size, pressure, and material of the pipelines along with the data received from the pre-amplifiers to calculate the distance to any leak location based on the noise that the pre-amplifiers recorded. This allows the operator of a leak correlator to precisely identify leak locations along large sections of waterline supply grids.
Parts to a Leak Correlator
Water leak correlators may have several accessories, but the critical equipment for the system consists of two primary components: The main processor unit and the pre-amplifiers.
The Leak Correlator Main Processor Unit
The main processor unit is the heart of a leak correlator. During a water leak audit, the size, material, and water pressure of the pipeline being audited are entered into the processor. When the sounds of leaks are collected by the pre-amp transmitters and sent to the main processor unit, they are interpreted by computer-based algorithms to precisely locate leak locations along the pipeline system. The leak location data is then displayed on the screen of the main processor unit. This data can later be uploaded to a laptop or desktop computer system and may be analyzed by leak correlation software.
The Leak Correlator Pre-Amp Transmitter
The pre-amp transmitters collect data for the main processor unit to use. These units are placed inside the water system at different locations. At each location the sound of water running through the lines is recorded. The location of each transmitter is also recorded by GPS. All of this data is then sent to the main processor unit by radio signal for processing.
When to Use a Leak Correlator
Leak correlators are designed for leak surveys and audits in congested urban areas with high noise levels. In these spaces, the operator of a traditional acoustic leak detector may have trouble separating the sounds of a pipeline leak from the ambient noise. However, the pre-amplifiers and main computer processor of a leak correlator should have no trouble isolating the sounds of pipeline leaks in these environments. Although water leak correlators work well in dense urban areas, they will also function as well as a traditional acoustic leak detector in quiet neighborhoods or in rural water districts.
In addition, water leak correlators have an advantage over traditional acoustic leak detection devices in that they can survey multiple sections of line at once. This can save time and man-hours in the field, leading to quicker data collection and processing times.
How to Use a Water Leak Correlator
To use a water leak correlator, several conditions must first be met.
- The pipelines to be audited must have a known material type, a known diameter, and a known length.
- The pre-amplifiers must be able to be inserted into or connected onto the pipeline with the suspected leak locations in between. The pre-amplifiers should be placed close to locations with the loudest leak sounds present.
- The sound of the leak must be within the measurement range of the pre-amplifiers.
- The pre-amplifiers must be able to communicate with the GPS satellites and therefore must have a clear view of the sky. If the pre-amplifiers are placed deep underground and the GPS signal or radio signal is impeded, antennas can be used to allow for the signals to be sent and received.
- The pre-amplifiers must be able to communicate with the main processor unit, either by radio or by the optional cable assembly.
Once these conditions have been confirmed, the leak correlator equipment can be assembled and set up.
First, the batteries in the main processor unit and each pre-amplifier should be checked and replaced as necessary. Then, the pre-amplifiers should be installed on the pipelines. These can usually be installed at a hydrant, gate valve, or meter locations. If the pre-amplifiers are placed deep underground and the GPS signal or radio signal is impeded, antennas can be used to allow for the signals to be sent and received.
Once the pre-amplifiers are installed and are powered up, the main processor unit is turned on. The connection to each pre-amplifier is then verified on the main processor unit. Once all installed pre-amplifier connections are confirmed, the pipe conditions are entered into the main processor unit. These generally include information such as pipe length, material, diameter, and pressure.
The main processor unit is then set to begin receiving noise data from the pre-amplifiers. After sufficient data has been collected, the correlate function is used to generate data that can be processed on a laptop or desktop computer using software included with the leak correlator. Once the data has been processed, the output will include distance to and from the leaks on each pipeline.
Is a Leak Correlator Right for Your Projects
Leak correlators represent a significant capital investment. However, they can easily reduce repair costs related to system downtime, mis-location of leaks, and extra work hours. These aggregate savings can easily add up to tens of thousands of dollars in savings per year.
Leak correlators can also keep your public stakeholders and city council happy with fewer road and sidewalk closures and they can help to keep your projects under budget. In addition, a leak correlator can minimize water supply interruptions for clients, ensuring that your customers are inconvenienced as minimally as possible.
If your water system is located in a dense urban environment with a complex web of other utilities, where shutting down a road for just a few hours to make repairs will cause congestion and headaches well beyond the immediate area affected, then a leak correlator may be the tool to help speed your projects up.
Contact us with your Leak Correlator Questions
If you are deciding on whether to purchase a water leak correlator, please feel free to reach out to us at Precision Outdoor Tech. We will discuss your needs and project specifications and will point you in the right direction to a product that can help you to correlate leaks on your lines. Give us a call with your questions, and we will be happy to help you out. If it is after hours, please use the contact form listed in the municipal contact section below and we will respond shortly.
Municipal and Government Customers
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Precision Outdoor Tech proudly carries the LC-5000 Leak Correlator by Subsurface Instruments. If you are interested in learning more about this device, please click on the link below to visit the our product page.
Subsurface Instruments LC-5000 Water Leak Correlator
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