Are our pooches that “multifunctional”? Their effectiveness has certainly already been shown in the search for drugs, weapons, ammunition, explosives, but also diseases. Their reliability also no longer has to be proven during rescue operations after an avalanche or earthquake to find missing persons. The Army also uses our four-legged companions to track and “stalk” enemies, but the problem of water leaks remained almost unknown to the battalion.
Still, that’s François Bourdeau’s job. This ex-soldier based in Sénas (Bouches-du-Rhône) is a “cyno-consultant”. Since 2020, at the head of a brigade of dogs with sharp senses, he has been commissioned by Veolia throughout France, and even abroad, to flush out public networks that leak in large drops.
The chlorine factor
Julien, a leak detection technician, completes the detection work carried out on the “olfactory map” produced with the help of expert dogs Rio, Kelly and Arnold.
“I have two operational dogs, the crossbreed Kelly collected at the Carcassonne SPA, the spaniel Arnold and a “young” in training for a year, the German shepherd Rio. We have to act cool because our enemy is hot. Both for the animal and the chlorine which breaks down quickly from 25°emphasizes the cynotechnician, that morning in operation between vineyards and forest along a 500 mm pipe that winds, between three and seven meters deep, in the Cogolin landscape.
“No matter how small the leak or its depth, it is this chlorine that acts as a marker that can be tracked by the dog, but it is an integral part of the drinking water because it is important to maintain its quality, this chlorine gas naturally rises to the surface, and this is where the dog’s sense of smell works wonders.”specifies Paul-Emile Roblez, Director of Véolia in the Bay of Saint-Tropez.
“It is a newer alternative technique that our management had the intuition to use beyond the usual palette when the search for leaks is complex, especially on large diameter PVC and concrete pipes, where acoustic technologies or by gas injection also have their limitations. as in hard-to-reach areas”, he adds.
Passed exam for Kelly
The demonstration begins with the adorable Kelly. His master makes him sniff a sample “the water of the land “. All that remains is to find out where its chlorinated effluvia might well appear.
“I think she sensed something because she just changed her behavior!”, reacts a hundred meters further François Bourdeau. Confirmation a few seconds later, when the patrol lays down directly on a keyhole that should give access to the valve located on the drinking water network.
Leak found, but without sending an excavator for repair. For this time, due to media presentation, Veolia has just simulated seepage, which will be corrected manually in the following minutes. In fact three points which “requires verification” was actually detected on the 2 km long network, at the level of a suction cup, a riprap and a drain valve. Kelly therefore deserves her little treat as a reward for this successful exam, before new missions on the Breton networks next week.
85% performance on the Var coast
The loss of water varies greatly from one area to another and especially depending on the care taken by local communities to maintain their pipes.
“On the Var coast, water is a very valuable resource. For the municipalities and their delegates, the performance of the network is a real problem, so we reach a very good level, which reaches 85% between the water produced and the water distributed to the meter. The loss of 15% can come either, unfortunately, from traditional leaks of water used in case of fire protection or from potential water diversions…”, analyzes the Var spokesman for Veolia.
Bulldogs banned!
“Kelly found his first escape in Lamanon in the Bouches-du-Rhône. The loss was 2 m3 per hour, but recently we discovered a much larger leak which is currently being repaired in the Paris region.“, testifies the dog technician François Bourdeau, who foresees a development of the profession in the years to come. On the other hand, it is not for all breeds, some are even outright prohibited like the bulldog. “They have short noses and breathing problems”remarks François, who above all praises the qualities of hunting dogs in his specialty.
“With all the leaks found by the dogs, confirmed by our team and repaired, we have exceeded 1,000 leaks, which in volume corresponds to the consumption of a city like Caen (106,000 inhabitants, editor’s note)”concludes the Veolia management.
