Equipment finds leaks before digging to minimize repair costs and road closures

Milford, OH (June 27, 2011) – Water leak detection specialist Fluid Conservation Systems (FCS) helped the town of Mooresville N.C. save money and resources while keeping in compliance with state regulations.  With FCS leak detection equipment, Mooresville can now identify and repair leaks in its water distribution network as they occur.

The Mooresville Public Services Department installed FCS equipment allowing leaks to be found and repaired as they happen.

Mooresville is a town of 33,000 people that provides an average daily flow of 3.24 million gallons of water to 13,000 homes and businesses.  In the summer of 2008, officials at Mooresville Public Services Department were experiencing a 10% non-metered water rate in their 240 miles of water mains.  Underground water leaks were causing damage to roadways, and the extensive digging required to find and repair these leaks was expensive and caused heavy traffic congestion.  With the passage of North Carolina House Bill 2499 requiring public water services to develop and implement water conservation measures, as well as new industry moving into town that would drastically increase water usage, officials knew it was time to upgrade their water distribution network maintenance program.

After evaluating competing products, Mooresville officials decided that acoustic leak detection equipment from FCS most closely met with their operational and budget requirements.  “The FCS equipment was compatible with our record keeping system and simple enough so that the guys in the field could use it and feel confident that they were collecting accurate results,” said Mooresville Public Services Director, John Vest.

Vest contacted local distributor Carolina Meter & Supply (Hampstead, N.C.) and purchased Permalog leak noise loggers, L-Mic and X-Mic ground microphones, an AC Digital leak noise correlator, and a Patroller II system to allow leak data to be collected from a moving patrol vehicle.  The equipment was fully installed and in use by the fall of 2009.

In April of 2010, Mooresville Public Services staff had located and repaired 24 leaks, saving an estimated total of $80,000 annually.  Workers were pinpointing leaks accurately, allowing preventative maintenance work to be scheduled with advance public notification to avoid traffic congestion.  “The FCS equipment has really enhanced our planning capabilities.  We’re finding leaks before they become a problem,” said Field Operations Supervisor, WD Bumgarner.

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