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The Leak Whisperer keeps the water flowing the right way

Contact: Sam Godfrey, 512-751-5325
	    Cliff Avery, 512-251-8101

	AUSTIN – Most of Texas can look forward to more drought through Nov. 30, according to the Climate Prediction Center.
	The CPC’s Aug. 15 predictions said that some portions of north and east Texas may see some improvement, but since those areas are already in dire shape, the improvement may be from bad to not-quite-as-bad.
	That will put more strain on utilities trying to provide water to thirsty customers. To make sure they don’t waste water, they may call Sam Godfrey, the Leak Whisperer.
	Godfrey, of Austin-based SAMCO Leak Detection Services, Inc. (www.samco-leakservice.com), has more than 26 years experience in dealing with water system integrity, including 14 years with the Lower Colorado River Authority.
	Finding underground leaks is not easy, even with high-tech listening devices. SAMCO crews carefully inspect the route of a utility’s distribution system. The acoustic equipment allows SAMCO to identify and pinpoint leaks, then summarize the findings and make recommendations for repairs or replacement of leaky meters.
	By using precise calculations, a utility can minimize the digging and the time required to repair a leak. That could mean fewer disruptions for roadways and, more importantly, for customers.
	“Utilities used to just wait for the water to bubble up. When they saw a big puddle where it wasn’t supposed to be, they knew there was a leak,” Godrey says.
	But the littlest leaks can rob a utility, and some may never bubble to the surface.
	“I’ve identified water leaks and water loss that would never have been located if we hadn’t used our listening devices,” Godfrey recalls.

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	Casey Slege, former engineer for the City of Taylor and now owner of his own engineering firm, recalls, “SAMCO’s annual program has been particularly helpful in finding hidden leaks, which has significantly reduced the city’s water losses. Even with an 80-year old water system, I am always amazed at the number of leaks found that were entirely hidden from the surface.”
	With the drought and with rapidly growing populations in many parts of the state, utilities can’t afford to waste water.
	“Water is liquid money,” Godfrey says in his East Texas drawl. Even if there weren’t a drought, utilities can’t afford to build and maintain infrastructure if they’re wasting water and money.  Meeting the demand for water means drilling wells, building expensive treatment plants or both. By making sure water isn’t wasted, utilities can delay those expenditures.
	The State Legislature recognized that the public won’t abide wasting their water by passing bills last spring that require some utilities to perform annual water audits and to notify their customers of the results. 
	The audits subtract the amount of water the utility sells from the amount that it places in its distribution system. The difference is water loss.
	“The Texas Water Development Board says that a water loss of five percent is excellent; up to 15 percent is marginally acceptable,” Godfrey points out, “More than 15 percent means a water system is in trouble.”
	Along with drying up lakes and emptying aquifers, the current Texas drought has had another insidious effect. Shifting of dry ground can break pipes and cause leaks.
	“It could rain for weeks, but if lines are broken, a utility is wasting water and money,” Godfrey says.
	With the drought expected to last, Godfrey’s phone is ringing, but the sound he’s concentrating on is the sound of water escaping from water systems.

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