Background 

Demeter Water Solutions has worked in partnership with a major North East based university since 2016, supporting efficient water management across its extensive estate. In 2021,  a large student accommodation site in was added to the monitored portfolio. 

In July 2025, our monitoring system at the halls of residence detected an increasing trend of constant flow, gradually rising to  1,420 litres per hour — experience of viewing and monitoring usage profiles strongly indicated a worsening underground leak.  

Investigation and Repair 

Demeter engineers conducted a series of detailed site visits between 15–22 July 2025, progressively identifying and repairing the sources of loss. This included: 

• Leak detection using acoustic listening and sonde tracing 
• Excavations through soil, concrete, kerb lines, and landscaped areas 
• Replacement of several 50mm x 32mm tees and faulty stop taps 
• Careful tracing of buried infrastructure around accommodation blocks  

Key Findings and Actions 

• 15 July: Repaired initial leak behind A block. Strong leak noise also detected at B block. 
• 17 July: Excavated and repaired a second leaking tee behind B block, replacing it with a new tee and stop tap. 
• 18 July: Continued unexplained flow traced under kerb line. Old tee and pipework replaced. 
• 21 July: Located and repaired a heavy leak at the corner of A block beneath a hedge area. 
• 22 July: . All works areas reinstated and site cleared. 

Outcomes 

The investigation revealed several hidden and high-volume leaks, including one significant failure beneath a hedge area near Block A. Flow was reduced in stages: 

• From 1,420 litres/hour → 1,260 l/h → 800 l/h → 160 litres/hour 
• Resulting in an 88.7% reduction in flow 
• Saving over 11,000 m³ of water per year 
• Avoiding an estimated £32,500 in annual water and wastewater costs 

All works were completed and reinstated within one week. 

An important factor in achieving such a high impact was the ability to monitor the online water use profile throughout which confirmed the requirement to continue the investigation and repair work at each stage as we could see that there was still excessively high flows, confirming additional leaks across the site until the 3rd leak was exposed and repaired. 

Continuing Service 

The site remains under daily performance monitoring as part of Demeter’s ongoing service to the University. All alerts and anomalies are promptly investigated, helping the University stay on top of leaks and supporting its environmental and cost-reduction goals.