Wet noses? Dogs that can sniff water leaks

THEY have established their credentials as security experts detecting drugs and explosives at border control.

But with noses that are 50 times more powerful than a human’s, some dogs have expanded their career prospects – and are now being used to sniff out water leaks in rural areas.

Scottish Water has hired spaniels Snipe and Denzel to help them search for leaks in trunk mains throughout Dumfriesshire and Ayrshire by following the scent of chlorine.

The dogs, who were trained by ex-military personnel, are on trial for ten weeks before Scottish Water will decide whether or not they should be taken on full-time. Over the past week the spaniels have already found leaks in a 24in steel main in Dalmellington, Ayrshire, and a 9in main near Lochmaben, Dumfriesshire, both of which were not detected by the quango’s technology.

With sensitive noses that boast 300million olfactory receptors against our six million, the dogs can be trained to associate the smell of chlorine with receiving a treat.

The dogs alert handlers to low concentrations of chlorine caused by leaks by lying flat on the ground and wagging their tails. Three-year-old springer spaniel Denzel enjoyed a previous career as a bed bug inspector for a chain of hotels and had to be retrained for his new vocation.

But Snipe, a two-year-old cocker spaniel, is new to the sniffing sector.

The pair work a few days a week for three to four hours with long breaks and are separated so as not to distract one another.

Craig Garment, of Scottish Water, said: ‘We take our responsibility to manage water very seriously and since 2006, leakage has been reduced by more than 50 per cent.

‘We use modern technology such as ground microphones, correlators and hydrophones to pinpoint the exact location of underground assets and leaks.

‘However, some bursts in rural locations are more difficult to pinpoint and we are always looking for innovative ways to do the job more effectively. That’s where these dogs come in.’

Mr Garment added: ‘We are hoping that Snipe and Denzel can continue to demonstrate during the trial period that their sensitive noses can detect treated mains water at very low concentrations.’

Scottish Water spends £8million annually tackling leakage. It could not estimate how much the dogs are likely to save the firm, but a spokesman said: ‘The dogs wouldn’t replace modern technology. They’d be used as an additional tool in our toolbox.’