Super-Sniffer Dogs help detect hidden water leaks across Hampshire
Trained spaniels working with specialist handlers are using scent detection to locate underground pipe leaks
Last updated 15th Apr 2026
A team sniffer dogs is being deployed to track down hidden water leaks across Hampshire, using their powerful sense of smell to detect treated water underground.
The spaniels, Mylo, Kilo and Tico, are trained to recognise the scent of chlorine found in treated drinking water. This allows them to pinpoint potential leaks even when they are buried several metres below the surface.
Working alongside their ex-military and police handlers, Stephanie Barrett and Lewis Worley, from the canine-assisted detection team CAPE SPC, the dogs are assisting Southern Water in locating leaks in rural and hard-to-access areas of Hampshire.
The team reports an accuracy rate of around 95%.
Each day, the dogs follow the path of water mains, moving in a zigzag pattern and covering approximately seven kilometres. When they detect a possible leak, they lie down at the spot to alert their handlers.
The location is then verified using surface water testing for chlorine or acoustic equipment before being recorded for follow-up repairs.
Over a 30-day period, the CAPE SPC team has identified around 20 previously undetected leaks in water-stressed parts of Hampshire. These leaks would have been difficult to locate using conventional detection methods alone.
The approach, sometimes referred to as “olfactory technology,” is helping improve the speed and efficiency of leak detection in challenging environments, reducing water loss in the region.
Handler Lewis Worley said:
“While there’s no denying our dogs are cute, these are working animals specially trained to carry out a job. Dogs have up to 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses where humans only have about six million.
"Day after day we see them sniff out leaks in remote and hard-to-access areas that may otherwise have gone undetected. We all know how effective dogs are when it comes to detecting explosives or drugs and CAPE is excited to be leading the way in demonstrating how they can help water companies.”