East Lothian: Dog detectives called in by Scottish Water to sniff out leaky water pipes

A team of specially trained detective sniffer dogs has been deployed to find leaking water mains in East Lothian.

The initiative by Scottish Water has already led to the  discovery of 21 suspected leaks in rural areas of East Lothian and the Borders where water does not always show on the surface. 

Four dogs – Springer Spaniels Kilo and Denzel, Cocker Spaniel Mylo, and Tico, a Labrador Cocker Spaniel cross - have been trained by ex-military dog handlers to detect the smell of chlorine in treated water.

Scottish Water is now working with Cape SPC, a company based near Warrington, who provide the service and own the dogs. The utility company is planning to use the dogs in some other rural parts of Scotland this year after deploying them successfully near villages such as East Linton.

Stewart Hamilton, a Scottish Water customer services operations team manager who has been working with Cape SPC, said: “We take our responsibility to manage water very seriously and since 2006 leakage has been reduced by over 50 per cent due to increased investment and pressure management.

“We use modern technology such as ground microphones, correlators, hydrophones and other devices to pinpoint the exact location of underground assets and leaks. However, some bursts in rural locations are more difficult to pinpoint and we are always looking for innovative ways to do the job more effectively and to continue reducing leakage.

“That’s where these sniffer dogs come in because their sensitive noses can detect treated mains water at very low concentrations. When the dogs help pinpoint the exact locations of leaks we then come back to that point, investigate, excavate and repair the bursts.”

He added: “It is often very difficult in wet, boggy terrain to source leaks, but dogs are part of the solution. We call in the team when we see an increase in flows in our data.

Luke Jones, managing director of Cape SPC, said: “Initial trials were held a few years ago but our approach and versatility has evolved considerably and we are really pleased with these latest successes in the Borders and East Lothian and are confident of achieving more in the future.”