It is evident that water is a limited resource in many parts of the world, a situation that has highlighted, amongst other things, the need to reduce leakage from urban water distribution systems to levels that are considered economically acceptable.

This Guidance Note is intended as an introduction to leakage practitioners to the process of identification, location and repair of leaks. For unreported leaks, this is more widely known as Active Leakage Control. It is part of a series of guidance notes prepared by the IWA Water Loss Task Force to cover all aspects of losses from water distribution networks.

This Guidance Note is aimed at staff with little or no experience of leak detection and location techniques and practices. It has drawn on the experience of international leakage engineers to pull together the key best practice essentials and outline technical understanding behind this vital activity. The Guidance Notes should be seen as a starting point and the influence of local variations must always be considered as local experience is gained.