What would you do if you discovered water surfacing in your facility’s parking lot due to a broken underground water line?
For industrial and commercial HVAC, plumbing, piping, electrical, sheet metal and thermal insulation company, Denali Construction Services out of Dallas, Texas, the answer was to contact the SIM-certified team of Project Managers at GPRS.
The Problem: Underground Water Line Leak & Unknown Surrounding Utilities
Denali Construction Services was experiencing surfacing water in their parking lot due to a suspected underground water leak. They knew they would need to saw cut the pavement to fix the leaking pipe, but like most people experiencing a pressurized water line leak, they did not know where to start excavating. Their suspected saw cutting area was populated with unknown underground hazards – additional water, gas, electric, sewer, and communication lines. To mitigate the risk of damages from severing these critical underground utilities, the team at Denali contacted GPRS Project Manager, Adam Kubicki, to perform utility locating services on the property.
Kubicki quickly located and mapped all underground utility lines on site, collected the data in GPRS’ GIS utility mapping platform, SiteMap®, then ensured the Denali team understood what each of the utility marks meant.
A New Opportunity: GPRS Performs Leak Detection Services
While on site, Kubicki discovered the reason his utility locating services had been requested was to ensure a safe saw cut to remediate a leaking water line. Now, that the water line was accurately marked on the ground and displayed within SiteMap®, the only thing left was for Denali to decide who to call to pinpoint the underground water line leak.
Kubicki shared that GPRS has a nationwide network of subsurface leak detection Project Managers. So, Erick Morales, GPRS Leak Detection Specialist, arrived on site to perform acoustic leak detection services on the suspected water line to pinpoint the leak location.
The Challenge: Hidden Under the Asphalt & Sewer
Due to the suspected location of the leak and asphalt between the underground water line and the surface, Morales instructed the maintenance crew on site to core drill two locations on top of Kubicki’s water line markings. Once completed, they found that the water line was a ¾’ copper pipe located directly under the sanitary sewer pipe on site. Once direct access to the water line was obtained through core drilling, Morales was able to accurately listen for the leak in the line.
How to Find a Leak in a Buried Water Line
Through the use of multiple forms of cutting-edge technology, such as grounding rods, the S30 Leak Detection Analog System, and a well-trained ear, Morales was able to pinpoint the leak. To get a good connection to the line, he hammered his grounding rod into the hole connected directly to the ¾’ copper pipe shown below, and immediately heard the distinct sound of an underground water leak.
Morales, in a post-inspection interview shared "I couldn't hear the leak at first until we drilled holes in the concrete and I hammered my grounding rod into the hole. Then I heard the leak."
Morales utilized acoustic leak detection techniques to listen to the pressurized water line, then pinpointed the suspected leak, marked it on the surface with an X, and watched as the Denali team cut through the concrete and dug on his marks.
The Big Reveal: X Marks the Spot
Within a few moments, the team dug up the line on the exact location that was identified by Morales. Immediately, Denali’s team discovered that Morales was spot on with his determined location of the underground water leak as shown in the image below.
Morales, reflecting on the success of the locate, shared, "I was able to stick around and watch them dig it up to see that I was spot on with my leak locate. It was a very good feeling."
The line, spewing out dozens of gallons of water per hour, was replaced, and the ground was paved over, fixing the issue and for the Denali team.
Benefits of Calling GPRS for Your Leak Detection Service Needs
The Denali team, with the help of GPRS' utility locating and leak detection services, was able to avoid damages to existing underground utilities on site when saw cutting and excavating to repair their water line, all thanks to GPRS’ markings. They were able to cut a 3x3 area around the suspected leak, to the exact location where water was exiting the pipe.
Denali was also able to mitigate any further damages and expenses caused by the underground water leak, including, but not limited to:
• Sink hole formation
• Drinking water contamination
• Increased water bill
• Flooded surrounding property
This quick response to surfacing water paired with the easy and accurate markings and reports of GPRS, saved them time, money, and provided them the peace of mind they needed, knowing that their problem on site was solved.
To learn more about how a GPRS Leak Detection specialist can help keep more money in your pocket, time on your side, and mitigate safety risks due to broken water infrastructure on your property, request a quote or schedule a service, today.
And to learn how you can practice proactive planning in your water and wastewater infrastructure management, sign up for a complimentary Water & Sewer Damage Awareness Week 2024 talk, today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Water & Sewer Damage Awareness Week?
Water & Sewer Damage Awareness Week (WSDAW) is an annual safety initiative sponsored by GPRS that aims to connect Water and Wastewater Engineers, Facility Managers, Public Works Officials, and Property Management Organizations with the knowledge and resources they need to better maintain and mitigate threats to the underground assets and systems they care for.
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How Do You Locate An Underground Water Line?
Great question! GPRS utilizes a technology called ground penetrating radar (GPR) that can find all types of material underground, regardless of conductivity. This makes it an excellent choice for locating buried water lines as well as other subsurface infrastructure.
