Northern Ireland Water Leakage Detection

Further to the award of contract, RPS mobilised a comprehensive team to work in collaboration with NIW and its partners. The team comprises 43 field-based personnel consisting and 4 professional support staff. The team typically works on a performance basis, payment by NIW being a function of the amount of leakage reduction achieved as a result of the repair of defects reported.

The project is run through a collaborative series of meetings where fieldwork is planned and reviewed on a weekly basis. Monthly and Quarterly meetings involve reviewing performance and resource requirements, addressing any contractual matters and authorising payment.  

We are achieving the aim of the project; detection and location of leaks on the clean water network, by:

• Cost-effectively fulfilling the leakage management objectives by delivering measured minimum night flow rate reductions whilst adhering to tight budgetary constraints;
• Effective collaborative working arrangements between RPS, NIW and NIW’s wider leakage management community, leading to the development and embedding of improved leakage management business processes;
• Developing a focused and motivated team of leakage detection specialists, local to Northern Ireland, through the delivery of accredited training programmes and continuous personal development;
• Providing the client with an innovative commercial model directly linking NIW costs to outcomes delivered;
• Delivering an RPS Insight mobile working solution to reduce cost, environmental impacts and improve the speed and accuracy of information;
• Effective incentive mechanisms established allowing the rewards of over-performance to be shared between all contributors.