Listen to your Pipes or How Acoustic Measurements are used to Locate Water Leaks

We have all heard it, and the UN Sustainable Development Goal No. 6 highlights it — clean (drinking) water is a scarce source that we need to protect. But how are leaks in pipe networks actually discovered if the leak does not manifest itself as a new water fountain in Mrs Smith’s backyard?

Multiple techniques ranging from radioactive isotopes over interferometry to satellite-based radars are used to find leaks in pipe networks. However, acoustics is one of the most applied methods owing to its…