A new water leak detection program will help Burdekin Shire Council manage water network faults before they become a major problem, acting Mayor Sue Perry has said.

“Not all water leaks are visible at ground level. By placing acoustic listening devices in our underground water network, Council officers can listen for problems rather than waiting for them to become apparent years down the line,” Cr Perry said.

“This proactive technology has the ability to detect and locate hidden underground leaks to within a few meters of their position.

“Council officers can then check the location with a ground microphone to confirm the problem before excavating and repairing leaks which otherwise may have gone undetected for years.”

Manager Water and Wastewater Shaun Johnston said the listening devices, which were first deployed in Ayr three weeks ago, had already produced strong results.

“Within two weeks we were able to confirm and repair one leak, with a number of likely leaks now on our radar.

“Each leak would have wasted more water than an average household uses for many years before it bubbled to the surface and was found if we hadn’t gone out and actively located it.

“Council officers will continue to work systematically through Ayr before deploying these devices throughout the other potable water networks in the Shire.”

Cr Perry said the new technology formed part of Council’s broader approach to enhancing water security and resilience.

“Council recently announced that we want to work in partnership with our water customers to decrease demand from residential and commercial customers on water supply infrastructure.

“To achieve this, Council will be rolling out a Shire-wide community education program to reduce water consumption and in turn, residential and commercial water bills.

“Council aims to take the lead in this respect. We will be making sure all of the water we use is metered and accounted for and ensure we use water in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner.

“We have also committed $200,000 in the 2019/20 Budget to begin the transition to smart water meters.

“Not only do these water meters have no moving parts which will increase accuracy and reliability, they can also be read without the need for staff to enter properties to sight the meter’s register. In many cases this will allow a quicker response by Council officers and along with other advanced data features, enable residents to have a greater awareness of their own water use.”