Q-Leak underground water mains leak detection training centre opens (with photos)
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Q-Leak, the underground water mains leak detection training centre, was opened today (July 26) to provide better facilities for strengthening the industry with training and research capabilities on leak detection.
Officiating at the opening ceremony today, the Director of Water Supplies, Mr Kelvin Lo, said that the Water Supplies Department (WSD) has always been committed to stepping up measures to prevent water leakages from both public and private water mains in a bid to reduce water loss. It is targeted that by 2030 the leakage rate of public water mains could be reduced from the current 15 per cent to below 10 per cent, and measures could be formulated to help minimise water leakage from private water mains. In view of the extension of the Water Intelligent Network in phases with more District Metering Areas (DMAs) established, the WSD constructed a new underground water mains leak detection training centre at the site of Tsing Yi North Low Level Fresh Water and Salt Water Service Reservoirs. It serves to facilitate relevant training for more leak detection practitioners, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of leak detection, as well as to enable the implementation of risk-based improvement works for water mains.
As the old leak detection training ground located on Beacon Hill is constrained by its limited size and insufficient training facilities to meet demands, the WSD commissioned the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2020 to design Q-Leak, the new training centre. The centre covers about 2 400 square metres with facilities simulating the complicated water supply network of Hong Kong and underground water main leakage under various conditions and scenarios, including different pipe sizes and materials, as well as various water flow patterns. The centre provides a safe environment for leak detection practitioners to conduct training and skills assessments on various leak detection technologies in simulated DMAs.
Looking ahead, the WSD envisages Q-Leak to serve as a teaching and research cooperation platform amongst the department, the trade and post-secondary education institutions in Hong Kong in the field of water mains leak detection, with a view to elevating Hong Kong’s leak detection technical level and excellence and contributing to the management of precious water resources of the territory.