New company helps water utilities detect and pinpoint leaks within a foot of source

A new company is helping water utilities locate and pinpoint leaks in their distribution networks. FlowNetworx allows companies to find leaks within a foot of their source without having to dig large trenches or disrupt service to customers.

FlowNetworx offers leak detection, leak pinpointing and water-pressure control technologies and expertise to help utilities reduce revenue loss, lower operating costs and improve their environmental stewardship. The company is an affiliate of LB Water Service, a distributor of waterworks infrastructure products in the mid-Atlantic region.

6 billion gallons of clean, treated drinking water is lost by US water distribution systems every day. Much of this loss is the result of undetected leaks in aging, undergrounded infrastructure. Annually, US water authorities lose over two trillion gallons of water which they pump and treat, but never reaches an end user.

"What county, municipal and private water authorities don't know about the hidden leaks in their distribution systems is hurting them", said Shawn Pulford, president and chief executive officer of FlowNetworx. "Lost water is costing utilities a lot of money. It's affecting their ability to comply with increasing environmental regulations, it's affecting the efficiency of their operations, and it's harming their bottom lines. We can help them address all of those issues."

"When a utility is losing 20 or 30 percent of the water it's processing – a statistic that, until recently, was considered to be acceptable in the waterworks industry, that utility is pumping, treating and transporting a lot of excess water just to be able to keep up with customer demand," said John Brutz, general manager for FlowNetworx. "Over time, that can lead not only to huge operational inefficiencies but also significant environmental impacts."