Our four-legged best friends just surprised us again with another breakthrough. It seems that their never-ending benefits can far outlast even the best of our current technology.
The amazing news came after Queensland’s water authorities introduced two English Springer Spaniels as their newest recruits. Meet Halo and Danny!
The dynamic duo was brought in to help detect water leaks for the more than 9000 kilometers of an intricate water system. So far, they have successfully located burst pipes every day that they have been in the field.
Many believe that the dogs are able to detect leaks up to a meter underground. This makes them a long way ahead of their human counterparts.
The urban utilities’ current technology can detect the presence of a leak, but only the duo can pinpoint the exact location. Thanks to their super-sensitive noses, leak detection can now be more efficient.
The Dogs Received Special Training
History has taught us that our canine friends are very useful in finding scents. This includes the chlorine signature present in treated water.
The dogs were trained in a special way, using a discrimination test to help them distinguish different types of water. They were exposed to different water types, like rainwater, stored water from a tank, and then tap water.
They get rewarded whenever they correctly indicate the drinking water, making them accustomed to the practice.
But it’s not as easy as it sounds. The chlorine smell they need to identify is only present in approximately 0.2 to 0.3 milligrams per liter. The challenge was real, since they have to trace the scent inside the pipe itself.
The dogs have special radio trackers fitted in their collars that transmit signals and then they compare it with their map. They are able to triangulate the location based on those data.
These dogs are truly magnificent proof that the possibilities are endless with help from our furry best friends.
Thanks to our friends from ABC News for posting the original story.
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