Berkeley County Water & Sanitation welcomes water leak detection dog
June 6, 2022
Trained to Identify Leaks in Service Lines & Water Mains
Berkeley County is proud to introduce the newest four-legged member of its Berkeley County Water and Sanitation Department: Agua, a Labrador Retriever-mix trained to help BCWS staff detect water leaks in service lines and water mains.
In October 2020, Berkeley Animal Society donated Agua to Berkeley County Water and Sanitation. Agua trained with Lowcountry Dog Training to learn to detect water leaks. Since training, the canine has detected several service lines leaks across the County, including utilities in neighboring municipalities.
During one particular call in October 2021, Agua was able to identify a sewer line leak within 30 minutes after a contractor had spent many days trying to locate it.
Agua trains weekly and works closely with a BCWS service truck operator.
“Agua has turned out to be a great asset for Berkeley County Water and Sanitation and the County as a whole, saving us lots of time and money—and she never calls out sick! Our success with this unique canine is due largely in part to Berkeley Animal Center, Lowcountry Dog Training, and Pet Supplies Plus of Goose Creek. We are confident Agua will continue to be a vital community resource in the future.” -Doug Tompkins, BCWS Director
