The Potable Water and Sewerage Concessionaire of the Municipality of Aguascalientes supports its commitment to actions to guarantee the conservation of the water resource, which has led it to permanently execute technical improvements to repair visible and invisible leaks in the city does.
The “Anti-Leak Unit” is staffed to detect and repair leaks of drinking water; both those that emerge on the surface, and those that are not visualized because they are hidden. They do this backed by state-of-the-art technology, guaranteeing unique identification and timely resolution.
One of the technologies implemented in the brigade is the detection of helium gas, which due to its composition does not alter or affect the service or drinking water network. It is with this element that they carry out distinctive identification functions in different sections of the city.
Leaks that are not visible represent greater risk and uncertainty, as they can be found in main pipes, meaning a considerable waste of water that is not perceptible. For each of these, a loss equivalent to 3,000 liters of water tanks per day is calculated.
The only way to detect invisible leaks is by actively looking for them, so at the new Veolia, they apply helium gas injections in specific sections, focusing on recovering drinking water levels and avoiding waste in the subsoil. We do.
Currently, they are intensifying these works in an area of 10 kilometers in the vicinity of Avenida Independencia and Montes Himalayas to detect leaks located in the network. These functions make it possible to detect where there are invisible leaks, repair them and subsequently control pressures if necessary, also with the aim of improving water distribution.
The process of using this technology begins with the injection of helium into the drinking water network in a given area. After this, it is monitored and allowed to work, after which small holes with a depth of 10 to 15 cm are made in the asphalt layer, without damaging or puncturing the pipe. With the use of a special device for this action, the existence of a gas leak is precisely detected, which indicates the unmistakable existence of a water leak in the studied section.
Every month, 1,500 to 2,000 reports of leaks are dealt with, arising from various factors such as increase in pressure in drinking water pipes or wear and tear suffered by the network over time, hence the constant attention to the said works is important.
With innovation in its processes, and ongoing training for its employees, the drinking water and sewerage concessionaire of the Municipality of Aguascalientes supports its commitment to caring for this vital resource by providing a quality service to the hydrocarbons community.
