Pipeline Inspection Process for Water Leak Detection in San Juan de Lurigancho, Peru
Executive Summary
As part of its Operational Sustainability Plan, SEDAPAL—the state-owned utility responsible for water supply in Lima and Callao—commissioned a water leak detection study of a 6,659-meter potable water transmission pipeline in San Juan de Lurigancho.
The section, which runs along the right bank of the Rímac River, was inspected using the Nautilus system, with support from WES FES Group, Aganova’s local partner in Peru and SEDAPAL’s main contractor. The in-service pipeline inspection process accurately located hidden leaks and identified anomalies in the DN800 and DN900 prestressed concrete pipeline.
The inspection identified 13 leaks with a combined estimated flow rate of 43.69 l/s, equivalent to approximately 1.38 million m³ of water losses per year. A total of 17 events were identified: 13 leaks (7 classified as F1, 5 as F2, and 1 as F3) and 4 Type 1 anomalies. F1 leaks correspond to severe breaks with high flow rates, while F2 and F3 indicate medium and minor leaks, respectively.
These findings provide a strong foundation for planning repair and maintenance interventions,
significantly contributing to the reduction of Non-Revenue Water (NRW) and improving operational efficiency in Lima and Callao.
Client
Partner
Sections
CP – S.J.L.
Location
San Juan de Lurigancho, Peru
Date
June 28, 2024
Diameter
DN800 and DN900
Speed (m/s)
Min
Max
0.41
0.62
Pressure (bar)
Min
Max
2.20
3.90
Distance (m)
6,659
Introduction
SEDAPAL is a state-owned company governed by private law and fully owned by the Government of Peru. Its mission is to provide high-quality drinking water, sewerage, wastewater treatment, and reuse services to meet the needs of the population in Lima and Callao.
As part of its strategy to achieve operational sustainability and reduce potable water losses, SEDAPAL set out to implement targeted actions to reduce Non-Revenue Water (NRW), focusing specifically on districts with the highest leakage rates.
Advanced water leak detection was therefore required to move from general estimates of network losses to precise, actionable information about individual leaks in the transmission pipeline.
Challenge
A 6,659-meter section of the water transmission pipeline in San Juan de Lurigancho, running alongside the Rímac River, was selected for inspection.
Previously identified leaks at bell-and-spigot joints had caused pavement subsidence and water to emerge at the surface. In addition, the age of the pipeline and the absence of a previous comprehensive internal inspection highlighted the need for a detailed pipeline integrity assessment.
Given SEDAPAL’s concerns about the condition of the network, the project needed to identify the exact location of each leak and estimate its associated flow rate. This information would allow the utility to distinguish the highest-impact events and define a prioritized repair strategy.
The Pipeline Inspection Process
On June 28, 2024, Aganova and its local partner, the Peruvian engineering company WES FES Group, conducted a non-invasive internal inspection using Nautilus, Aganova’s free-swimming pipe inspection technology for pressurized water pipelines.
The pipeline inspection process comprised three main stages: technical preparation, in-service deployment, and data analysis.
First, the technical team validated the pipeline configuration, operating conditions, and insertion and extraction points. Nautilus was then deployed at 10:30 p.m. and retrieved at 2:17 a.m., completing more than six kilometers of inspection without interrupting the water supply.
During its journey, Nautilus collected acoustic, pressure, movement, and operational data from inside the pipeline. Following retrieval, the information was processed and analyzed to identify and accurately locate leaks, detect air pockets and other anomalies, and estimate the flow rate associated with each leak.
The pipeline inspected had the following characteristics:
Section
Location
San Juan de Lurigancho, Peru
Material
Prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP)
Flow rate
Between 0.41 and 0.62 m/s
Diameter
Between 800 and 900 mm
Water speed
0.47 m/s
Pressure
2.30 – 3.90 bar
Insertion point
DN150 gate valve
Extraction point
DN150 gate valve
Inspected Section
Image caption (left): Installation of the insertion system (left) and setup of the extraction system (right)
Aerial view of the inspected pipeline with detected incidents
Pipeline elevation profile
Pressure profile along the pipeline
Real-time positioning data
Results
Leaks
Incident Severity
F1
F2
F3
13 total incidents
7
5
1
Anomalies
Incident Severity
A1
A2
4 total incidents
4
0
The incidents detected during the inspection were processed and visualized through the Nemo platform. The red markers indicate the location of the leaks and anomalies identified, overlaid on the base map provided by SEDAPAL’s GIS database.
The following chart displays the pipe’s elevation profile (in blue), based on the data collected by the Nautilus sphere, overlaid with the terrain profile (in brown).
Data recorded by Nautilus during the inspection made it possible to estimate the flow rate associated with the detected leaks and derive an approximate pressure profile of the pipeline using hydraulic analysis. This enabled SEDAPAL to assess the relative impact of each leak and prioritize repair actions accordingly.
Conclusions
The pipeline inspection process identified and accurately located 13 leaks and four anomalies along the San Juan de Lurigancho transmission pipeline, providing SEDAPAL with a reliable understanding of the inspected section.
Based on the location, severity, estimated flow rate, and accessibility of each leak, Aganova recommended prioritizing the events with the greatest potential impact. Lower-severity leaks were incorporated into a periodic pipeline condition monitoring plan.
Following these recommendations, SEDAPAL repaired the highest-impact leaks. The subsequent excavations confirmed the locations reported through the inspection, validating the accuracy of the findings and avoiding unnecessary intervention along the full pipeline section.
The collaboration between SEDAPAL, WES FES Group, and Aganova transformed inspection data into a targeted repair strategy. By combining water leak detection, flow-rate estimation, and information supporting pipeline integrity assessment, the project established a solid foundation for reducing NRW and improving the long-term sustainability of Lima and Callao’s potable water system.
Pinpointing
Pinpointed excavation of the main identified leak