Our customer, EDF, is a large power plant with two power stations serviced by Wave for over 40 years. After noticing higher than normal water consumption levels at one of their stations, EDF utilised our Leakage Find and Fix service to identify any hidden leaks on the ageing infrastructure.
Hidden leak detection
Site engineers at West Burton Power Station identified unusually high daily water use which couldn’t be accounted for by their current operating regime and numbers of staff on site. After initial site surveys failed to locate any leakage, they contacted their Wave account manager, Simon Crane, to arrange for a Leakage Find and Fix team to visit the site.
Find and fix
On the day of the visit, due to the large footprint of the site, the Leakage Find and Fix team began by sectionalising the water system to narrow down the search area. This was a challenging task, due to the complexity of the site’s infrastructure and the need to maintain supplies in certain areas. Within the day, a suspicious section of pipe had been identified and the location of individual potential leaks was narrowed down further using listening techniques. Upon further investigation by the site's own Infrastructure Teams, two underground leaks were identified and subsequently repaired.
Significant savings
The prompt response and early identification of the leaks led to a saving of 20m3 per day, meaning EDF had a significant cash saving of £5,100 per year. More importantly, this reduced the site’s raw material usage and environmental impact and avoided unnecessary water waste during a very dry summer where water efficiency is vital. Lessons learned from the visit have also helped the site teams locate a further underground leak.
EDF were satisfied with the results of the visit. A spokesperson said: “We were really pleased that our concerns were addressed during the Wave visit. It’s given us a better picture of the actual water use on site and enabled us to carry on with our water saving efficiencies.”
Simon Crane, account manager for EDF, said: “Finding the leak required Wave and EDF to share skills and knowledge to good effect. Both businesses recognise consuming water efficiently is a social and financial responsibility. Wave is delighted to continue working collaboratively with EDF.”
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Wave offer a range of services to help identify leaks, drive down consumption and help businesses become more water efficient. Get in touch to find out more.
