Water mains leak detection in Sheffield
Water mains leak detection finds hidden leaks in underground supply pipes using acoustic ground microphones, tracer gas and pressure testing. A meter turning with every tap off, rising bills or wet ground can indicate a leak. ADI Leak Detection Sheffield locates and marks the leak before digging begins, in one visit.
Non-invasive leak detection
Acoustic, thermal and tracer gas
Trace and access claim reports
What are the signs of a water mains leak?
A water mains leak shows as a meter that moves with every tap off, a Yorkshire Water bill that climbs or ground that stays wet.
- The meter dial moves when every tap and appliance in the house is off
- A Yorkshire Water bill that has climbed with no change in how much water you use
- Pressure that drops away when more than one outlet runs
- Wet ground, sinking block paving or a patch of lawn that stays green in July
- A Yorkshire Water leak notification letter through the door
Water loss from garden watering pipes needs irrigation leak detection. A falling pool level calls for swimming pool leak detection to test the pool shell and circulation pipework.
Where do water mains leaks occur in Sheffield?
Water mains work is the bulk of the recorded jobs in Sheffield: an internal cold mains leak in S17, and underground mains leaks in S9 and S8, attended by Brett Steele and Matthew Barron.
How does ADI Leak Detection Sheffield find a water mains leak?
Water mains leak detection uses acoustic ground microphones, tracer gas and pressure testing to locate a water mains leak.
The pipe is usually a metre down and the sound of it travels, so tracing it first helps you avoid unnecessary digging.
Isolate and pressure test the water mains pipe
Pressure testing confirms and measures water loss from the mains pipe. The engineer first isolates the supply at the boundary stop tap, then tests the pipe before tracing the leak.
Listen along the pipe using acoustic listening devices
Acoustic ground microphones pick up the sound of water escaping beneath the surface. The engineer moves them along the pipe route in short steps.
Confirm the water mains leak with tracer gas
Hydrogen tracer gas is introduced into the isolated mains pipe and detected at the surface above the escape. The engineer uses this method where ground noise or a slab affects the search.
Mark the water mains leak location
The water mains leak position is marked on the ground and measured back to a fixed point, so whoever digs knows where to open up.
Before anyone digs, it matters whose supply pipe it is.
Who fixes a leak on your supply pipe, you or Yorkshire Water?
Responsibility for a mains leak depends on which side of the property boundary it sits. This follows Yorkshire Water’s own published guidance on whose pipe is whose.
Where does responsibility for the water supply pipe change?
Responsibility for the water supply pipe changes at your property boundary. Yorkshire Water's published guidance is that you are usually responsible for all the plumbing inside the property, for the supply pipe between the house and the boundary, and for the stop taps on your property. Yorkshire Water is usually responsible for the water mains, the stop taps in the road or pavement, the communication pipe up to your boundary, and the meter and its connections.
Who maintains a supply pipe beneath a pavement or neighbouring property?
A supply pipe beneath a highway or public footpath stays the customer's responsibility where it is fed from a main in a neighbouring street, according to Yorkshire Water's guidance. A supply pipe crossing someone else's property remains your responsibility. Shared supply pipes, common in older houses, are the joint responsibility of the connected households.
Who should you contact about a water supply leak in Sheffield?
Yorkshire Water fixes leaks on its side of the boundary; report those leaks to the water company. Everything on your side of the boundary is yours, and that is the work ADI Leak Detection Sheffield does. The written report always says which side of the boundary the leak sits on, with the position marked. Chesterfield and Dronfield are in Severn Trent's area, where the same split applies with a different company.
What happens after a water mains leak is found?
Water mains leak repairs by ADI Leak Detection Sheffield are guaranteed. If the leak is on Yorkshire Water's side of the boundary stop tap, the report identifies that so you can pass it to them.
Every leak detection visit ends with a written report by the engineer who attended, with photographs and video, formatted for trace and access and escape of water insurance claims.
- The leak position marked on site and explained before you decide anything
- Photographs and video in the written report
Which ADI Leak Detection engineers serve Sheffield?
The engineers who carry out water mains leak detection in Sheffield are Robert Gires, Brett Steele and Matthew Barron.
-
Robert Gires
Robert Gires covers water mains leak detection in Sheffield from Barnsley.
- Based
- Barnsley
- Leak detection experience
- 5 years
- Jobs completed
- 1,135
-
Brett Steele
Brett Steele covers water mains leak detection in Sheffield from Halifax.
- Based
- Halifax
- Leak detection experience
- 10 years
- Jobs completed
- 1,167
-
Matthew Barron
Matthew Barron covers water mains leak detection in Sheffield from Wakefield.
- Based
- Wakefield
- Leak detection experience
- 4 years
- Jobs completed
- 642
What do customers say about ADI Leak Detection Sheffield’s water mains leak detection?
Sylvia Waller
The Trustpilot review rates Matthew Barron’s work 5 out of 5.
Matthew Barron came and was very pleasant, polite and efficient. He was very thorough explaining what he was doing and when he had to move and inspect different areas of the house, he made sure everything was returned to its original place/state. He did a first class job and I would highly recommend him
- Rating
- 5 out of 5
- Date
- 13 March 2025
- Engineer
- Matthew Barron
Water leak.
The Trustpilot review rates Robert Gires’s work 5 out of 5.
Hi this water leak was in Sheffield and Robert from ADI arrived on time. Very polite and informative and took us through every stage of what he was doing. In the end the water leak was located outside and by using his sensors and water leak equipment was able to trace the leak within a metre. Robert began to dig located the leak and repaired the pipe. Excellent job by Robert, this leak was at my mother’s house who is 90 years of age so was really relieved when the leak was found. As the leak was on mother’s property the water board didn’t want to know. Well done Robert and ADI.
- Rating
- 5 out of 5
- Date
- 30 January 2025
- Engineer
- Robert Gires
Quick to sort leak and great service
The Trustpilot review rates Matthew Barron’s work 5 out of 5.
Called on Friday and ADI had an engineer booked in for Monday morning. Matthew Barron was great - professional, courteous and kept me updated each step of the way. He checked everything, traced and located and then fixed the leak, which was in an awkward spot, very quickly. Really pleased with the service and would recommend.
- Rating
- 5 out of 5
- Date
- 18 July 2025
- Engineer
- Matthew Barron
Read every review on Trustpilot. The jobs themselves are written up in the Dore and Totley, Sheffield S17 job and Gleadless Valley, Sheffield S8 job.
Which Sheffield jobs used water mains leak detection?
Recorded water mains leak detection jobs show the faults found, using ADI Leak Detection’s job records and the attending engineer’s photographs.
Internal Cold Mains Leak in Dore and Totley, Sheffield S17
The internal cold mains leak in Dore and Totley, Sheffield S17 was investigated by Brett Steele in May 2024.
- Postcode sector
- S17 4
- Leak type
- Internal Cold Mains Leak
- Engineer
- Brett Steele
- Outcome
- Pin hole leak found in cold feed riser beneath kitchen floor, repaired.
- Water Mains Leak Detection
- Internal Leak Detection
Underground Water Mains Leak in Gleadless Valley, Sheffield S8
The underground water mains leak in Gleadless Valley, Sheffield S8 was investigated by Matthew Barron in January 2026.
- Postcode sector
- S8 9
- Leak type
- Underground Water Mains Leak
- Engineer
- Matthew Barron
- Outcome
- Multiple leaks found in lead mains pipe beneath pathway, temporarily repaired.
- Water Mains Leak Detection
- Underground Leak Detection
Underground Water Mains Leak in Shiregreen and Brightside, Sheffield S9
The underground water mains leak in Shiregreen and Brightside, Sheffield S9 was investigated by Brett Steele in June 2025.
- Postcode sector
- S9 1
- Leak type
- Underground Water Mains Leak
- Engineer
- Brett Steele
- Outcome
- Two leaks found and repaired on external mains supply.
- Water Mains Leak Detection
- Underground Leak Detection
The leak detection case studies record the engineers' findings and repair outcomes.
How do you arrange water mains leak detection?
Your water mains leak enquiry reaches a technical advisor, who calls you back once you send the form with your postcode, confirms the service and arranges the visit.
Not sure this is the right investigation? Describe what you can see on the call and ask which one fits.
Tell us what is leaking
What do people ask about water mains leak detection?
Questions about water mains leak detection cover four topics: visit length, pipe ownership, driveway excavation and leak noise correlation.
How long does a water mains leak detection visit take?
The technical advisor gives you the likely time for a water mains leak detection visit on the call, when the service is confirmed, because the duration depends on the property and the length of the pipework.
Who is responsible for a leaking water main in Sheffield?
The supply pipe from the boundary stop tap into the property belongs to the property owner. Anything on the street side of that boundary is Yorkshire Water’s, and should be reported to them. ADI Leak Detection Sheffield works on the customer side, and the report makes clear which side the leak is on.
Do you have to dig up the driveway to find it?
Water mains leak detection traces the pipe from the surface with acoustics, tracer gas and a pressure test. Digging happens once, at the marked point, only if you want the repair done.
What is leak noise correlation?
Leak noise correlation is a way of estimating where a leak sits on a buried pipe. Two sensors are clamped to fittings at either end of the run, the leak noise reaches each one at a slightly different moment, and the time difference gives a distance along the pipe. ADI Leak Detection Sheffield finds water mains leaks with acoustic ground microphones, tracer gas and pressure testing.
