Detection of water leakage in buried pipes using infrared technology; A comparative study of using high and low resolution infrared cameras for evaluating distant remote detection

Water is one of the most precious commodities around the world. However, significant amount of water is lost daily in many countries through broken and leaking pipes. This paper investigates the use of low and high resolution infrared systems to detect water leakage in relatively dry countries. The overall aim is to develop a non-contact and high speed system that could be used to detect leakage in pipes remotely via the effect of the change in humidity on the temperature of the ground due to evaporation. A small scale experimental test rig has been constructed to simulate water leakage in The Great Man-Made River Project in Libya, taking into consideration the dryness level of the desert sand and the scaled dimensions of the system. The results show that the infrared technology is an effective technology in detecting water leakage in pipes. The low resolution system has been found as valuable as the high resolution system in detecting water leakage. The results indicate the possibility of distant remote detection of leakage in water systems using infrared technologies which could be mobilised using drones, helium balloons, aeroplanes or other similar technologies.