The inspection took place as part of an annual program and identified at least 30 leak points in the council network and a further 17 leak points on private property, wasting an estimate of 207 litres per minute and 30-40 litres per minute, respectively.
This represents an average loss of approximately 15 per cent of Renwick’s daily water consumption.
The most significant leak was found near the corner of Vorbach and Brydon Street, where approximately 30 litres and minutes was being lost.
Stephen Rooney, Marlborough District Council’s Operations and Maintenance Engineer, said “It’s a significant waste of water given that Renwick, at this time of year, is taking 1,390 litres per minute from the treatment plant.”
He went on to acknowledge network as an explanatory factor for the leaks.
“Given that Renwick’s water supply network was installed in 1974 with an expected lifespan of 60 to 70 years, the level of corrosion is as expected and a similar level of leakage was detected during last year’s inspections.”
Mr Rooney expects that water supply network will continue to be managed by routine maintenance until it becomes uneconomic to repair in three or four decades.
The council will be repairing all significant leaks over the coming weeks. For further information visit the Marlborough District Council website.