Call 0333 567 2615

Leak detection for forecourts and convenience stores

Water supply pipes, car-wash feeds and welfare blocks beneath the hardstanding, found without breaking up the forecourt. Water leaks only: we do not work on fuel lines.

Call 0333 567 2615

A forecourt has a lot of water underground that nobody thinks about until the bill arrives: the supply to the shop and welfare block, the feed to the jet wash and car wash, the water for the air and water point, and often a long run from the boundary meter under the hardstanding. When one of those leaks, the water disappears into the sub-base and the only sign is a rising bill or a wet patch that never dries.

We locate water leaks on forecourt sites with acoustic listening, leak correlation and tracer gas, from the surface, with the site trading. To be clear, our work is on water services: supply pipes, car-wash feeds, shop and welfare plumbing and drainage. We do not survey or work on fuel lines, tanks or interceptors.

Where leaks hide in a forecourt.

The usual suspects for this format, in the order we tend to find them.

Car wash and jet wash feeds

High-flow supplies under the wash bay and its approach, often with joints disturbed by resurfacing.

The supply run from the boundary

A long pipe from the street meter under the hardstanding to the shop, with the leak nowhere near where the water surfaces.

Shop and welfare block plumbing

Customer and staff toilets, the coffee machine feed and the staff kitchen, all in a small building with a slab floor.

Air and water points

Small-bore feeds to the customer water point, exposed to traffic and frost.

Canopy and shop roof

Rainwater from the canopy outlets and the shop’s flat roof getting into the shop ceiling.

Foul and surface water drains

Cracked drains under the forecourt that leak water into the ground and undermine the surface.

How we work on your premises.

The same non-invasive methods as every job, planned for the way this kind of premises actually runs.

  1. The site keeps trading

    We work a small area at a time and coordinate with the site manager so the pumps and the shop stay open.

  2. Water services only

    We isolate and test water supplies. Fuel systems are outside our scope and we do not touch them.

  3. Marked for a single excavation

    The leak position, depth and pipe route are marked on the surface so the contractor cuts one hole in the hardstanding.

  4. Reports for site and head office

    For multi-site operators the same report format goes to every site, with a copy for the insurer where there is a claim.

What you get from a survey.

Every job ends with the same things: the location, the cause, the evidence and a report you can hand to someone else.

  • The water leak located and marked on the forecourt surface
  • A meter and pressure test record showing how much water is being lost
  • Depth and route of the pipe for the excavation
  • A report for your insurer, your head office and your contractor
  • Same-visit repair where the pipe is accessible

Forecourts & convenience: your questions.

What managers in this sector ask before they book.

More questions
Do you work on fuel leaks?

No. We locate water leaks: supply pipes, car-wash feeds, shop and welfare plumbing and drainage. Fuel lines, tanks and interceptors need a specialist fuel contractor.

Can you survey without closing the pumps?

Yes. We work around the live site in small sections and coordinate with the site manager. Closures are rare and short.

Our car wash water use has jumped. Is that a leak?

Possibly, or a valve fault. We isolate the feed and test it; if the meter still moves with the wash idle, we listen along the run and find the break.

Do you cover forecourts across the country?

Yes. Engineers are based across England, Scotland and Wales, so multi-site operators get the same service and report format wherever the site is.

Related services.

Water mains & underground

Supply pipes under car parks, service yards and slab floors. The usual suspect behind a water bill that has quietly doubled.

Find out more

Drains & CCTV surveys

Blocked, cracked or leaking drains in service yards and beneath units, surveyed with CCTV drain cameras and pressure testing.

Find out more

Washrooms & staff areas

Customer toilets, staff kitchens and cleaners’ cupboards. Small rooms with a lot of pipework, and the source of most damp patches next door.

Find out more

Speak to the team about your leak.

One call gets a leak engineer moving. Our methods are non-invasive, so there is usually nothing to dig up, and you get a written report ready for your insurer.

Call 0333 567 2615

Engineers across England, Scotland and Wales. £5 million public liability insurance.