South West Water is working with the University of Exeter to test the use of drone technology and thermal imaging for leak detection. 

Laboratory tests of the thermal cameras have proved positive and field-scale trials are planned for 2017. 

The technology works by attaching a thermal sensor to a drone which would then be flown along pipeline routes particularly in rural locations. The thermal sensor can detect differences in soil temperature which could be caused by an escape of water.  

With 18,000kms of pipe, much of it in rural and remote areas, and more than a million service connections to customers the technology could help reduce the cost of leak detection and repair by pinpointing more exactly the location of a leak, particularly in rural locations where traditional methods are less effective. 

The pilot is one of several projects that will be led by the new South West Partnership for Environment and Economic Prosperity (SWEEP), funded by the Natural Environment Research Council.