Underground Water Leak Detection

Underground leak detection is a specialist process to find the precise location of underground water leaks.

Underground water leak sources include water supply pipes, central heating, underfloor heating systems, hot or cold plumbing pipes, drainage networks, pool and spa filtration pipework or irrigation systems.

There are some key signs to look out that indicate an underground water leak including a high water bill, damp concrete, sinkholes and low water pressure.

Our specialist underground water pipe leak detection engineers use methods to detect leaks, including acoustic listening devices, leak noise correlation and tracer gas leak testing.

What are the sources of underground water leaks?

There are 7 common sources of underground water leaks. Anywhere underground water carrying pipes can be the source of a leak. Pressurised water pipes are the most likely to spring a leak!

Mains water supply pipes leak anywhere between the external stop valve and your internal stopcock.
Central heating piping can leak under the floors in any room of your property.
Underfloor heating circuits can leak hot water beneath the flooring of rooms with under floor heating.
Hot or Cold Plumbing Feeds are pressurized water pipes buried under the floor of your home.
Drainage pipes can leak under the flooring inside your home and under your garden.
Swimming Pool Filtration System Pipework can leak anywhere between the pool and filtration room.
Garden irrigation systems leak under the garden area where they are installed.

Many underground water leaks will display visible symptoms above ground.

Are there any common Signs of water escaping underground?

Looking for the signs of an underground water leak can lead you to the source of the leak.

Internal Signs

Damp concrete under your flooring caused by water rising to the surface.
Low water pressure or poor quality water from your taps indicates a break in a water supply pipe.
A patch of grass or plants that are growing faster than those around them.
A constant water leak from the ceiling which stops once the stopcock has been isolated.
The sound of hissing or running coming from water under the floor.
Mould, Damp, Mildew or water damage to floors, and walls.

External Signs

A patch of grass or plants that are growing faster than those around them.
Hissing or gurgling sounds from underground.
Surface water puddles or flooding with no obvious reason.
Subsidence or boggy ground without an explanation.

A high water bill is a common sign of water loss. Your local water supplier may issue a Section 75 notice if they notify you of water loss on your property. A section 75 notice is a legal notification that you must locate and repair the water leak on your property.

Deeper or slower leaks underground will require specialist leak detection equipment to locate.

How We Detect Leaks Underground

Here at ADI Leak Detection we detect underground water leaks using years of experience and the latest leak detection technology including acoustic listing devices, tracer gases, pressure testing & leak correlation.

Acoustics listening devices to listen for the sound of escaping water from pipes.
Tracer gases rise escape from any pinhole or break in a pipe then rise to the surface.
Pressure testing to test if an individual pipe or plumbing system is leaking.
Leak correlation to locate leaks on water supply pipes over long distances.
Thermal imaging to identify hot or cold patches under concrete.
Ferret leak detectors to find small leaks in water mains.
Moisture Meters to identify areas of damp or moisture.
Drainage CCTV Inspection cameras to look inside drains for cracks.

Our unique process has evolved over many years of tracing leaks on water mains, irrigation systems and also for carrying out drainage CCTV surveys.

What causes underground water leaks?

There are a number of causes for water leaks; the most common causes include:

Corrosion in pipes leads to weakening and damage due to exposure to minerals.
Aging pipes become weakened or damaged over time, resulting in leaks.
Ground movement causes pipes to move or break, leading to leaks.
Damage from external factors such as construction work can accidentally cause leakage in utility pipes.
Tree roots growing into pipes can cause damage and lead to hidden water leaks.
High water pressure in pipes leads to damage and leaks over time.

Knowing the possible causes of a leak can help to identify its location.

ADI Leak Detection have over 700 5* Trustpilot reviews and are accredited by CIPHE, WIAPS & Watersafe.