U.K. Water System Using Leak-Sniffing Tortoise To Address Infrastructure Problems
As water systems around the world continue to suffer from years of neglect, resulting in leaks and ruptures, one system abroad is turning to an unlikely ally in the fight to keep effluent flowing.
“Essex & Suffolk Water has become the first company in the world to use a tortoise to detect leaks,” according to Smart Water Magazine. “The eight-year-old reptile, known as Terry, is able to detect leaks and bursts in pipework through sense of smell — and has now been welcomed aboard full-time to the water company’s operations team.”
Tortoises have the ability to smell minute scents, and the water system, located in the U.K., had been looking for an animal partner to help it detect pipeline ruptures for some time. Terry’s owner first uncovered its ability to sniff out leaks after she found it was fixated by a toilet leaking in her home.
“I couldn’t understand why, but Terry was constantly rubbing himself up against my toilet,” the owner said, per Smart Water. “This was going on for a few weeks and I didn’t really think anything of it, until Essex & Suffolk Water sent someone round to fix my leaky loo.”
Once it was fixed, Terry lost interest in the toilet, but then became fixated on a dripping kitchen tap. Terry’s owner told the water system’s team about the phenomenon, and the tortoise was put to work shortly after. He now accompanies Essex & Suffolk employees on daily leakage detection runs.
Though the whole saga may sound like a hoax, particularly because the story was published on April Fool’s Day, Smart Water Magazine confirmed with Water Online that it is, in fact, a true story. And animals are employed at drinking water and wastewater systems more than you might think. For instance, rescue dogs have been utilized to sniff out pollution caused by wastewater.
“It takes him a little while to get where he needs to be, but his accuracy is impeccable,” said Jim Howey, head of water networks at Essex & Suffolk Water, per Smart Water. “I hope we can find more reptile recruits like this in the future.”
To read more about how water systems address pipeline leaks, visit Water Online’s Water Loss Solutions Center.