Water utilities and developers

Water operations and leakage management

Assessment of leakage

The continuous monitoring of minimum night flows into defined areas (District Meter Areas - DMAs) of typically 1000 to 3000 properties is the principal method of leakage control.

Minimum night flow is used as a measure and it comprises distribution losses (leaking glands, joints and minor bursts) and night flow delivered (consumer's use and losses within the consumer's supply pipe).

Continuous monitoring of DMAs enables the extent of leakage to be assessed more accurately and in some instances it is even possible to identify a single burst on a consumer's supply pipe.