iDroloc technology from the Spanish company Aqualogy finds leaks in underground water distribution networks by injecting helium gas into the water pipelines. Thanks to its efficacy, Detroit has chosen this system in order to find and stop leaks.

Aqualogy found three leaks in a 1,200 millimeter (47 ¼ inches in diameter), 3 kilometer long cast iron pipe in the city of Detroit. Teams from the Spanish company made two injections of helium gas into the pipe, which runs underground. The teams detected that two joints were losing water and found another high-intensity leak where water was escaping into the sewage network.

The iDroloc system finds water leaks by injecting helium gas into pipe networks. This gas, which is naturally present in the atmosphere, dissolves in the water and is carried underground through the pipes. The helium in the water will slowly escape through any points where leaks exist, and thereafter be detected on the surface.

This is not the first time that the Spanish company has worked in American cities. Another technology developed by Aqualogy, Ice Pigging, has also been put to use across the country in places such as Illinois, Oklahoma, North Dakota and Pennsylvania. Local agencies have chosen the Ice Pigging system in order to clean out sediment from major water ducts. Aqualogy offers a wide variety of solutions and services in the water sector, which can be adapted to the needs of individual clients in any location.