Consider how much water can be lost through a pinhole leak over a period of a month. “Unaccounted for” water is a major source of lost revenue for most utilities.

Water loss as a result of a leak .63 cm diameter (1/4”) can mean a loss of 14,952 gallons per day. If undetected for a period of 34 days, over ½ million gallons are lost, plus resultant water damage or underground water undercutting. The following table shows leak sizes and their approximate loss in the gallons from a pressurized 60 psi pipeline. A pinhole leak can mean an average loss of 18,000 gallons of water per quarter, equaling normal demand from the average family home.

 

	GALLONS LOST
PIPE LEAK SIZE	PER DAY	PER MONTH
	360	11,160
	3,096	95,976
	8,424	261,144
	14,952	463,512