Water distribution systems are critical infrastructure elements conveying water through thousands of kilometers of pipes. Pipes – one of the most critical elements in such systems – are subjected to various structural and environmental degradation mechanisms, eventually leading to leaks and breaks. Much of the literature on leak detection has focused on passive methods; recording and analyzing acoustic signatures produced by leak(s) from passive piezo acoustic or pressure devices. In this paper, an active method is proposed where an acoustic source is used to excite a pressurized PVC pipe and the measured reflected and transmitted energy using hydrophone receivers is used to determine the presence of a leak. Experimental tests employing continuous sine and white noise excitation and the underpinning theory which supports experimental observations are presented. Experimental results show that this method can detect leaks robustly and has significant potential for use in pressurized water distribution systems.

配水系统是通过数千公里的管道输送水的关键基础设施元素。管道-这种系统中最关键的元素之一-受到各种结构和环境退化机制的影响，最终导致泄漏和断裂。有关泄漏检测的许多文献都集中在被动方法上。记录和分析无源压电声学或压力设备泄漏产生的声学特征。在本文中，提出了一种主动方法，其中使用声源激励加压的PVC管，并使用水听器接收器测量反射和传输的能量，以确定是否存在泄漏。介绍了采用连续正弦和白噪声激励的实验测试以及支持实验观察的基础理论。实验结果表明，该方法可以可靠地检测泄漏，并且在压水分配系统中具有巨大的潜力。