Acoustic Signal Processing and Noise Analysis for the Localization of Leaks in Water Pipes

Loss of water due to leaks in pipes is a significant problem for communities in Austria and Southern Europe. Presently, such leaks are localized by noise measurement and auditory assessment. This method requires experienced staff and results in substantial localization errors due to high background noise levels. We are investigating advanced signal processing methods which allow the suppresion of background noise in ground microphone measurements. Various time-frequency processing methods are studied in MATLAB as well as their implementation using C and single-chip DSPs.