Leak Search

Mark Quartermaine owns and operates the company and has over 35 years experience in all aspects of hydraulic services within the water industry.

We have invested in the most technologically advanced electronic leak detection equipment and use industry best practice to detect leaks.

Our water loss technicians are fully trained and have many years experience using methods that are highly developed and multi-layered. Technicians are trained to use an extensive array of sophisticated tools to interrogate all water losses in homes.

We test many different types of leak detection equipment to find the most suitable for a variety of applications.

Equipment includes:

Acoustic Ground Microphones

Microphones are used to listen directly to valves or pipes or indirectly through the ground with various attachments, e.g. listening stick (contact sounding) or geophone foot (surface sounding).

Building Class Investigation Thermal Camera and Moisture Meter

This camera and moisture meter enables Leak Search to interrogate houses for water loss investigations.

Thermal Imaging or Infrared Camera

This handy tool is used to verify water leak locations. Trained Water Loss Technicians use thermal cameras to locate plumbing blockages, broken or leaking pipes under floors or in walls, leaking shower tiles causing plaster damage and roof leaks. Cameras measure the temperature difference to "see" in to walls and below ground.

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

GPR uses electromagnetic waves. When a signal meets an object or layer with different dielectric properties, part of that signal is deflected back to the surface; the time delay from transmission to return gives a depth to that object or layer. It can be used to identify non-metallic services, voids, utility mapping, pipeline leak detection assessment, water tables and has many other applications.

Pipe Locaters to find Lost Services using NULCA Underground Asset Locations procedures

This can be done with a pipe and cable locator by sending a pulse down metallic service lines, e.g. 20mm copper service from the tapping band to the water meter (to identify tapping band locations) also to check for other suspected utilities in the area.

Acoustic Correlating Data Loggers

Units are placed on the valves and hydrants no more than 150m apart and are programmed to turn on when sounds are low, say between 2 and 4 am. They are used in high traffic areas and analysis of sound level and sound spread helps eliminate environmental background noise. Leaks typically have a high decibel level and a narrow noise spread.

Correlators

Correlators are two transmitters or accelerometers that measure the time difference between two points, from the mechanical vibration the water leak makes as it leaves the pipe and the time or the velocity of the pipe for the noise to be heard at each correlation unit. These vibrations travel through the pipe wall (as minute vibrations) and in the water column (as a pressure wave).

GPS utility mapping is available via a hand-held unit with up-to-date maps of Western Australia

GPS is used to locate remote and lost metallic and non-metallic service lines, site surveys, elevation levels and mapping service. The location of any leaks are sign-posted and photographed so maintenance crews can find them later. Wireless broadband service is used to transfer data via on-site field communications.

Flow and Pressure Monitoring Loggers

Loggers are placed at the header tank water meter, (bore water meter) or both meters if they are available, to determine water flows and pressures. These pressures are logged at five-minute intervals and this data can be downloaded daily on-site and information sent via SMS. 

Data for the previous 24 hours can be emailed to a client’s office the same day as the on-site download. There is no long waiting period to receive the data.

• Ground Penetrating Radar