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Out in the field with our Leakage Technicians

The Southern Water Leakage Team are responsible for nearly 14,000km of water network, 232 reservoirs, and 655 pumping stations, meaning they have a lot of ground to cover. Find out how they find and fix leaks across the region.

The population in our region is growing. By 2050 it’s predicted to increase by up to 25%. More people mean the demand for water is always increasing. The Environment Agency has already designated the South East as water-stressed so it's important we all work together to save water where we can.

We’re committed to halving leakage from our water network by 2050 and we’ve created a dedicated team of over 200 technicians who work 24/7 to find and fix leaks across the region – more than 500 of them every week, which is close to around 25,500 leaks a year! Most of our ‘listening’ for leaks happens at night while you’re asleep!

Leakage is water that we can’t account for. It’s gone into supply but hasn’t reached your homes and businesses or been used by us. Leaks happen for lots of reasons, whether from old pipes, changes in pressure on the network or damage from ground movement. More leaks happen during very dry or freezing weather as the ground expands and contracts around the pipes.

Our Leakage Team is responsible for nearly 14,000km of water network, 232 reservoirs, and 655 pumping stations, meaning they have a lot of ground to cover!

How do we find leaks?

Although technology has a role to play, sometimes the most effective way to find a leak once we’ve pinpointed a location will be using a listening stick. This uses vibrations from the pipes to indicate whether there’s a potential leak. If the team can hear a hissing sound through the stick, this is normally an indication that there’s water escaping from a pipe.

Once the trusty listening stick has located a leak, they use tablets to trace the pipework in the area. It could be on our pipes or one of our customer's internal pipes. If the leak is within our network, we’ll mark the area, before arranging for it to be repaired.

What else are we doing?

We’re investing in new technology including -

  • 7,000 acoustic loggers, which accurately detect and pinpoint leaks.
  • We’re using satellite mapping to find leaks, which allows us to cover a much larger area in shorter space of time and look for leaks deep underground or under buildings and roads. This is the same technology they’re using on Mars to locate water.
  • We’ve also introduced an advanced pressure management scheme, which reduces excess pressure on the network reducing the risk of leaks and bursts.

How can you help?

If you spot a leak on the street, you can let us know straight away: southernwater.co.uk/report-a-leak or call us on our dedicated Leakline: 0800 820 999 or 0330 303 0368 (24/7).

We’ll send out a team to investigate as soon as we can.

At home, leaks can be caused by dripping taps, poor connections to appliances, leaking water tanks or even your toilet. If you think you have a leak, find out how to find and fix leaks in your house. 

You’re responsible for the pipes on your property, so if you find a leak contact a WaterSafe certified plumber: watersafe.org.uk.