Normal weather |
Major leak: Yes Minor leak: Yes |
No |
Monitoring water ponding can identify major leaks in normal weather. Monitoring changes in moisture of barren soil can identify minor leaks. |
Light rain (no ponding or inundation) |
Major leaks: Yes Minor leaks: No |
No |
Significant leaks leading to ponding can be identified. Minor leaks that only cause a change in soil moisture cannot be identified during light rain. |
Heavy rain (with ponding/inundation) |
Major leaks: No Minor leaks: No |
No |
Since heavy rain will cause widespread ponding, there will be no false alarms. However, water monitoring cannot detect leaks during periods of heavy rain. |
Snow |
Minor leaks: No Major leaks: Yes |
No |
Snow melts cause conditions similar to light rain. Water monitoring can identify major leaks but not minor leaks. |
Leaks from other sources
(e.g. leak from a water tanker near a pipeline) |
Major leaks: Yes Minor leaks: Yes |
Yes |
Leaks from any sources will be identified. However, they will require additional information to minimize false positives. |