Throwback Case Study: Swift Action Prevents Major Water Loss at Newcastle University – Castle Leazes Halls of Residence

Introduction   

Water and burst pipes have no respect for holidays, and this was never more clearly demonstrated than at Castle Leazes, which was until recently the largest of the Newcastle University Halls of Residences.

The university has worked with Demeter since 2018 to enhance resource management, and this case is a reminder of the importance of continuous monitoring—even during the holiday season.

The Problem

On Christmas Day 2018, Demeter’s monitoring system raised an alert about unusually high-water consumption at Castle Leazes, with water usage increasing dramatically to 26,480 litres per hour. The in-built system auto-alert triggered sending a message to the University. However, the scale of the increase and concerns about possible damage in addition to a daily cost of over £1,700 prompted Demeter staff to contact the University’s out-of-hours Security office to ensure they were aware of the issue.

The graph below shows the impact of the burst pipe on flows through the water meter.

The Solution

The security team, guided by Demeter’s prompting and prior knowledge of the building layout, inspected the basement and discovered severe flooding, which was traced back to a 6-inch pipe burst. Thanks to Demeter’s direction, the team located the problem quickly and was able to contain the situation before it worsened.

This quick identification, combined with Demeter’s real-time monitoring, prevented further damage and avoided significant escalating costs.

Outcome

In recognition of our actions, Demeter was delighted to be awarded Supplier of the Year – Environment by Newcastle University. The university acknowledged how our monitoring system and specific customer care enabled early detection of a serious issue.

This case serves as a testament to the importance of proactive water monitoring in protecting valuable resources and maintaining building integrity.

The Impact

Our quick action, on Christmas day, helped save £1,700 every day the issue would otherwise have continued.

Although we can’t factor in the potential damage caused by the flooding, this case highlights the significant impact of early intervention and the essential role of continuous monitoring to reduce the impact of such costly incidents.

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Created by Benjamin Tulloch