Water Loss and Leakage Management - Level One

Details

1-day course

CPD Credit: 6.5 hours, C1 / C2

Course Overview

Leakage of water from the network is a serious problem on a national scale and that is reflected in every county across the country. Irish Water estimates almost half of the water produced is lost due to leakage within our water mains and within customer properties and is undertaking a national investment programme of works to reduce leakage and improve Ireland’s water supply. Reducing leakage will continue to be a key priority for Irish Water in the coming years.

Course Aim

This course will provide an introduction to leakage detection, control and management and the relevant technologies used to assist in the process. Trunk main and distribution leakage detection techniques where there is limited metering will also be covered in this course as well as an introduction to asset planning and District Meter Areas (DMA) design.

Course Programme

1. Introduction to Asset Management

• Life of a pipe 
• Reasons for failure

2. Introduction to DMA Design and Implementation

• Reasons for a DMA
• Benefits of a DMA

3. Basic Active Leakage Control Techniques

• Leakage detection 
• Factors affecting acoustics
• Pressure and small leaks
• Catastrophic failure
• Successful Active Leakage Control

4. Driving Down Leakage: Localise, Locate & Pinpoint

Localise:

• What is Localise?
• What are Noise Loggers?
• How a DMA assists in localising losses
• How to plan a Step Test

Locate:

• What is Locate?
• What is a correlator?
• Components of a correlator
• Correlation theory
• Common mistakes
• How to minimise mistakes
• Practical Exercise – Minimising errors

Pinpoint:

• What is Pinpointing?
• How does leak noise travel to the surface?
• Manual listening stick
• Electronic ground microphone

Learning Objectives

At the end of this course participants should be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of leakage control processes and the technologies used in leakage detection activities
• Analyse the causes of pipe condition failure and understand how pressure can cause breakages within the distribution system
• Describe how DMA’s help to control and manage the distribution system
• Develop the necessary skills and knowledge required to identify different types of leaks
• Explain how the different technologies work and when is best to use them
• Define the terminology used in Leakage Control Practices 

Who Should Attend?

This course will be of interest to engineers or technicians involved in the identification, location and evaluation of water leakage. Participants should be working with water assets in consultancies (as designers), Local Authorities and contractors involved in find and fix.

Trainer’s Profile

Stuart Hamilton CEnv, CMgr, FCIWEM, FIWA, FCIPHE, MCMI

Stuart has over 35 years of experience in water loss control and water management. Stuart is the managing director of Hydro Tec, a leading water management organisation providing consultancy services to water utilities and private business sectors globally. He is an expert in advanced water management control approaches and specialist techniques in acoustic technology. He works in both small and large diameter networks applying acoustic technological methods in intermittent supply, low pressure and high pressure systems. Stuart has managed large water loss management projects and resources throughout the world in 30 different countries.

Stuart holds membership of several water associations including fellow member of the IWA, CIWEM and CIPHE, past water loss specialist secretary of IWA, committee member of AWWA and past executive committee member of EWRA. He is the principal author of several IWA books including ‘Leak Detection: Technology and Implementation’, ‘Current Leakage Detection Methodologies’ and ‘Water Management and Water Loss’. Stuart is also the co-author of the IWA manual ‘Technology and Equipment for Water Loss Management’.

Bambos Charalambous

A Chartered Civil Engineer, a Chartered Environmentalist, a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK), a Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (UK) and a Fellow of the International Water Association (IWA).

Over 40 years of experience in urban water distribution network management, including non-revenue water (NRW) and intermittent water supply (IWS) with application to water utility efficiency programs, water audits, NRW reduction strategies, PBC for NRW reduction, IWS management and control, utility governance, capacity building training and coaching.

Over 20 years of international experience, including recent assignments in the Balkans and Eastern Europe, Middles East, East Africa, South Asia and South Pacific.

Well experienced in the development of comprehensive approach for technical and operational efficiency improvement in water utilities with well-defined, tangible, and realistic goals.

Skilled in adopting participatory methods and techniques to stimulate awareness, creativity, and engagement of utility staff in the context of achieving higher levels of operational performance and efficiency.

Published numerous papers and books on issues related to urban water supplies. Past chair of the IWA’s Water Loss Specialist Group and Intermittent Water Supply Specialist Groups, member of the IWA Strategic Council and Past President of the Cyprus Water Association.

Testimonials

• Barry Meade, RPS Group: “Good overview of the topics, very informative”
• “Excellent”
• “Very good, experience in field delivered in class”
• “Informative and interesting with good examples and use of audio and visual techniques”
• “Very enjoyable”
• “Very clear, great presentation, very relevant. Stuart was very good at explaining everything”
• “Interesting and valuable”
• “Excellent slides and presentation”
• “Good course, very practical”
• “Excellent, practical course. Very experienced practical tutor”

Please contact the Team for further information on scheduled course dates and In-Company options. You can reach us by phone: 01 665 1305 or email cpdtraining@engineersireland.ie