Quick response to a leaking supply pipe saves local library 900 litres of water a day.
Since 2019, we’ve worked closely with a council in the South East of England who were keen to work with a water retailer that could support them to lower their water use, be more environmentally friendly and ultimately save money across their 73 sites.
The council is responsible for a wide range of public sites including schools, libraries and recreational grounds and was keen to understand how it was using water.
Finding a hidden leak
After switching to us, the council were allocated a dedicated Account Manager, Paul Vincent, who analysed data from their whole portfolio and shared an initial consumption report during their first meeting.
The report looked at how much water was being consumed at each individual site and Paul was immediately concerned that the daily water usage at one site in particular – a library which had almost doubled its usage from 1,000 litres to 1,900 litres during a six-month period.
Using our Leakage Find and Fix service, an underground leak was found on the library’s supply pipe, which carries water from the boundary of the premises directly to the business. The problem was that the supply pipe was buried deep underneath concrete making the repair more challenging.
Replacing the pipe
As determined by the UK Water Act 2014, the responsibility for a supply pipe lies with the property owner – in this case the council themselves.
Preliminary investigations found it difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the leak. It was decided that the most economical solution with the agreement of the council was to replace the full supply pipe from the revenue meter to the internal stopcock within the library.
As the work progressed, we found that, unknown to the council, the supply was also linked to some flats which were above the library.
Working with the council’s Facilities and Leisure Contract Manager, we installed a sub-meter so that the water used by the library and the flats could be monitored and charged individually.
A happy customer
We continue to work closely with the council to monitor their water use and look for ways to make their sites more water efficient.
Account Manager, Paul Vincent, added: “The work now completed has saved the council the cost of the leak and the consumption cost from the flats. They complimented the team on their professionalism and the quality of the replacement. They also valued the clear communication throughout the duration of the work”.
Need more support?
Get in touch with your Wave account manager about how our water efficiency services can help your organisation improve your environmental impact and save money.
