data logging how data logging can help you understand your water use

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1 data logging how data logging can help you understand your water use

2 what is data logging? A data logger connected to a water meter. what is a data logger? A data logger is a small device that is fitted to your water meter which measures water use throughout the day. why do we use data logging? Data loggers show you how water is used at your property. They identify issues such as leaking pipes, broken fixtures and incorrectly set irrigation systems. These issues have the potential to waste millions of litres of water annually and are relatively cheap to resolve. If your property has any of these problems, then you could be wasting tens of thousands of dollars per year, on an issue which could have been detected earlier or even avoided. how can you benefit? By identifying and resolving issues early, the potential benefits to your organisation are: Financial savings due to reduced volumetric water and sewerage charges Improved environmental performance by using less water to deliver the same products and services The ability to demonstrate your commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility and advertise your environmental credentials what s in it for the Water Corporation? Issues like leaks, excessive irrigation and faulty toilet cisterns have the potential to waste millions of litres of water per year. It makes more sense to help customers resolve these issues and save water than it is to build new sources of water. By conserving our precious water supplies we ensure that we can continue to supply water while keeping costs down for our customers. We have a goal of decreasing per capita water consumption by 15% by 2030, as reported in our Water Forever strategy, and data logging is one initiative that supports this.

3 do you have a leak? case study 1 A customer was alerted to unusual usage via a data logger. This prompted an investigation that identified a leak which was responsible for around 33% of the property s water use. After turning off the water, staff dug down to expose a leaking pipe. After turning the water back on, the hole filled up very quickly. The graph above highlights that water use was high even in the early hours of the morning when there was minimal activity. The consistency and volume of this water use indicated further investigation was required. A small hole created a leak that if left unresolved would have wasted around eight million litres of water a year and cost the customer around $34,000 annually. After being alerted to a possible problem, staff noticed wet grout on the pavement (this was previously not identified due to regular cleaning). Lifting the pavement exposed very wet ground, despite the area being dry for a number of days. The site saw their average daily use drop by a third after the leak was repaired. case study 2 A customer identified a large leak hidden under a concrete slab, which was wasting around 100 litres of water a minute. If left undetected for a year, this leak would have wasted around 50 million litres, and cost the organisation an extra $100,000. The customer organised a plumber to investigate further, and they were able to locate the leak under a damp area on a concrete floor. A hole was drilled in a damp area to verify the leak. The pipe was excavated to enable repairs to take place. A data logger revealed that a major leak had started at the site. The site saw a dramatic decrease in water usage.

4 do you have a leak? case study 3 A customer isolated an area of their property, which allowed them to narrow down the location of their leak. The water was shut off in this section for 15 minutes, and the logger showed that the water use had dropped, confirming that the leak was somewhere in this area. Isolation test showing water use dropping when water to a section of the site was shutoff. case study 4 A customer in the North West region used a data logger to identify that their irrigation system had been unintentionally set to operate daily. The customer also took the opportunity to review their irrigation timing. By reducing irrigation to every second day (as per the North West irrigation roster) and adjusting the run-times average water use dropped by around 20 million litres per year or 68% of their annual usage. Daily water use reduced after the changes, saving money as well as water. In addition to this, the data logger also highlighted a leak of around 12 litres per minute, which was fixed, saving a further six million litres of water per year. The combined savings in water use will reduce the customer s water bill by around $50,000 per year if maintained for a whole 12 months. Improved irrigation schedules saved large volumes of water. case study 5 Data logging can also save water by highlighting unusual water use patterns. In the example above, the business recognised that water use had changed and so they carried out an inspection of their property. They found a leaking toilet cistern which was repaired quickly and easily, saving both water and money. Other examples of saving water through early detection include: Hoses being left on in wash-down areas or gardens Faulty equipment such as blocked solenoids, broken float valves, and leaking urinals Intermittent leak due to stuck toilet cistern.

5 benefits of data logging A data logger will assist you estimate how much water and money you will save by repairing a leak. why does water use never stop at my site? Data loggers can show baseflow, which is constant water use that is evident 24 hours a day. Baseflow should always be investigated to help you understand where your water is going. In some cases like a manufacturing plant, which operates non-stop without regular shutdown periods, baseflow might not imply a leak. In these cases, data loggers can still identify issues when shutdowns for maintenance occur. However, for most businesses, continuous water use in the early hours of the morning represents an opportunity for investigation. Even in businesses like hotels that have people on site 24 hours a day, the water use should still return close to zero during this time. how can a data logger help you find a leak? By installing isolation valves into your plumbing network, you can isolate various areas of your site by turning water off to a specific area only. If the baseflow visible on the data logger then disappears or is reduced, it indicates that this is the area you should investigate further. Not only does this save time for your plumber but you will save money too. Isolation valve installed at a customer site to enable isolation testing. did you know? It is not always easy to find a leak. Quite often leaks in underground pipes do not surface, or they only surface intermittently. So, even large leaks may not be easy to see with the naked eye. Data loggers along with isolation testing can help you to identify and locate an issue. You should train all frontline staff including cleaners, security staff and groundskeepers to look out for pooling water, or regular occurrences of wet dirt, concrete or grout and report dripping taps and leaking cisterns. more leak detection tips Licensed plumbers can also help you find a leak. Many Waterwise Plumbers specialise in leak detection and use technology like acoustic equipment to listen for a leak, or cameras to look for leaks. For a list of Waterwise Specialist Plumbers who specialise in leak detection services, visit watercorporation.com.au

6 Waterwise Helpline Account Enquiries (8am - 5pm weekdays) National Relay Service July 2013 This information is available in alternative formats on request. customer@watercorporation.com.au watercorporation.com.au