The NSW Government’s Active Leak Detection Project supports local water utilities to identify and address hidden leaks within reticulation networks.

The program focuses on targeted, data-informed detection activities, using specialised acoustic technologies to locate non-visible water loss and enable councils to prioritise repairs and reduce non-revenue water.

As part of the NSW Government’s broader Water Efficiency and Regional Leakage Reduction Program, it contributes to improved water security by reducing losses from ageing infrastructure and enabling earlier intervention before leaks escalate into major failures.

Seeing the Unseen

Underground leaks rarely announce themselves. They develop slowly, silently, and often remain undetected for months, particularly across large, ageing water networks. Improving visibility into these hidden losses is critical to strengthening long-term water security in regional communities.

Many local water utilities face similar challenges:

• Large reticulation networks across multiple towns
• Limited internal analytics capability
• Manual data exports restricting long-term trend visibility
• Delayed detection of underground leaks

Without accessible data insights, hidden water loss can continue undetected wasting valuable water resources, limiting a utility’s ability to respond proactively, and continually driving up operational costs. To help address this, the NSW Government supported the implementation of a Water Leak Detection application within the gHost platform, equipping councils with real-time and historical visibility of network performance.

Data to Detection

The NRW (Non-Revenue Water) application provides dashboards enabling long-term analysis of:

• Reticulation flow and pressure trends
• Calculated Minimum Night Flow (MNF)
• Predicted flow rates
• Variance and anomaly patterns

In August 2025, during a routine data review with Cabonne Council, a sustained upward trend in calculated Minimum Night Flow was identified. There were no visible surface indicators, reported bursts or community complaints. Despite this, the ongoing increase in MNF indicated a potential developing leak within the reticulation network. This single insight became the trigger for coordinated action.

Coordinated Intervention through gHost

Through its Active Leak Detection Project, the NSW Government prioritised Cabonne Council to participate in leak detection, which includes specialist teams getting out on the ground and using cutting-edge equipment such as noise loggers, electronic listening sticks, ground microphones and leak noise correlators, which are used to ‘hear’ water as it escapes pipes.

In October 2025, specialist contractor Aqua Analytics deployed high-powered acoustic sounding technology across targeted reticulation mains. The investigation confirmed multiple leaks, with approximately 50% of surveyed mains showing signs of water loss.

Based on field findings, potential water savings were estimated at 83 megalitres annually once repairs are completed. Early detection enabled early intervention long before physical symptoms emerged.

Validating the Value of Data-Led Insight

As repairs are completed, ongoing analysis through gHost Technology will validate reductions in Minimum Night Flow and quantify improvements in water retention.

This reinforces three critical outcomes:

1. Proactive leak identification before visible failure
2. Better targeting of acoustic leak detection activities
3. Measurable reduction in non-revenue water

The initiative demonstrates how combining central oversight with accessible local data tools can strengthen system resilience across regional utilities. For councils, it provides confidence that emerging risks can be identified and addressed before escalating into major loss events.

Looking Ahead

Water security in regional communities depends on more than infrastructure alone. It requires visibility, coordination and timely action. By integrating gHost’s water app solution with field based detection programs, utilities can move from reactive maintenance to predictive water management—helping protect resources, reduce losses and plan with greater certainty.

Sometimes, seeing the unseen begins with a single data signal.