Innovative Pipe Rover Project on Trial in Australia

The Pipe Rover project, an Australian first, is a partnership between Western Water and Ballarat’s Central Highlands Water as part of the Intelligent Water Networks Program.

The new technology being trialled will allow Western Water to find leaks without having to excavate or switch off customers’ water.

A Western Water spokeswoman said, “The Pipe Rover will be able to detect leaks, or test the ‘health’ of a pipe, without having to turn off water supplies or dig up large sections of nature strips. Currently bursts are our first indication of a problem with a pipe.”

Western Water acting managing director Rob Franklin said: “This technology could revolutionise the way we maintain our network of pipes, but, more importantly, could provide great benefits for customers.

“We are trialling three different methods for scanning the inside of pipes to identify leaks, weak spots or other problems, with no interruption to customers’ water supply.

“The Pipe Rovers then send back video footage and other information about the condition of the pipes, allowing us to prioritise our maintenance and fix small problems before they become big ones.”