Northumbrian Water using drones to find and fix leaks

Northumbrian Water is deploying the technology to identify bursts and leaks across fields and remote rural locations.

The move follows a recent rise in leakage, with teams locating and fixing more than 300 leaks in the past week—three times the usual number.

Northumbrian Water is using drones to detect and repair leaks in hard-to-reach areas across the North East, including fields and remote rural locations, enhancing efficiency in maintaining water infrastructure (Image: Northumbrian Water)

Jim Howey, head of water networks at Northumbrian Water, said: "We use drones across our business for a variety of reasons, but this is the first time we have used them for detecting leaks in this way.

"It’s a great way for us to cover larger areas of land in a shorter time, meaning that we can spend more time on fixes and protect our precious water resources."

The rise in leaks follows changing weather conditions in the region, with a mix of ice, snow, and freezing temperatures followed by milder periods.

Northumbrian Water drone searching for leaks (Image: Northumbrian Water)

Overnight freezes make the ground hard, while daytime thaws leave it saturated and soggy.

This cycle increases ground movement, which can crack pipes, loosen fittings, and cause valves to leak.

Some of the resulting bursts and leaks are appearing in rural, difficult-to-access locations.

Traditionally, finding these leaks required technicians to walk across fields looking for visible signs of water.

Now, drones are being flown along long stretches of pipeline to quickly identify and locate bursts, allowing crews to reach the site faster and carry out repairs.

The method reduces the need to drive onto land and into fields, minimising land damage and disturbing livestock, while also keeping workers safe.

It is part of a wider programme of innovation at Northumbrian Water aimed at reducing leakage.

Last year, the company announced they would be using satellite technology to detect underground leaks – using unique AI software modelling to spot subtle changes in soil or streets surrounding the pipe that could indicate escaping water.

Mr Howey said: "At this time of year, we see a big rise in the amounts of bursts across the region – which leads to a rise in the demand for water.

"We have teams out and about 24/7 in order to find and fix bursts, but we can’t fix the leaks we don’t know are there.

"So, although we are using innovative techniques and deploying more leakage teams than ever before, we still value our customers’ help in reporting any leaks they see."

Customers are encouraged to report leaks through the company’s website.