Australia's first water leak detection dog retires

Kep with one of more than 240 leaks uncovered in her trailblazing career

• Kep recognised for groundbreaking role helping to save precious drinking water in WA
• Since 2018, the 9-year-old English springer spaniel has detected over 240 leaks
• Kep's legacy continues, with 16-month-old cocker spaniel, Piper, taking the 'lead'

Australia's first water leak detection dog has handed in her harness at Water Corporation and is ready to enjoy a well-earned retirement after helping save enough water to fill Optus Stadium twice over.

When Kep, meaning "water" in Noongar language, joined Water Corporation in 2018, she was specially trained to detect the scent of underground water leaks in regional Western Australia.

Over her career, the English springer spaniel has sniffed out more than 240 non-visible leaks, predominately in the Goldfields and agricultural regions, helping save around 2.5 billion litres of precious drinking water.

Today, Kep officially hangs up her hi-vis harness and passes the lead to Piper, a 16-month-old cocker spaniel who has been preparing to follow in Kep's pawprints over the past year.

Working with her canine handler, Piper has been developing her scent detection skills and has commenced training in the field. She'll eventually be capable of inspecting up to five kilometres of pipeline a day.

Western Australia has one of the world's largest water networks, with more than 35,000 kilometres of water mains spanning 2.6 million square kilometres. In remote areas, traditional acoustic leak detection methods are less effective due to the long stretches of buried pipeline.

Water Corporation is continuing to expand its non-visible leak detection program, receiving a $5.2 million uplift in the 2026-27 Budget. Last year alone, the program inspected more than 6,800 kilometres of water mains, helping save millions of litres of precious drinking water.

Since 2020, $450 million has been invested in preventative and corrective maintenance on Perth's water and wastewater networks, with a further $269 million in 2026-27 alone for ongoing preventative maintenance.

Comments attributed to Water Minister Daniel Pastorelli:

"This clever canine has pioneered a nation-leading approach to leak detection and in doing so, has helped preserve precious drinking water in remote locations across the State.

"Kep has shown us that innovation doesn't always look like a satellite, a drone or artificial intelligence. Sometimes it's a highly trained dog working alongside skilled people to help solve the challenges of managing one of the world's largest and most complex water networks.

"It's exciting to know Piper will continue Kep's legacy - sniffing out hidden leaks in remote locations and contributing to water savings at a time when every drop counts."

Kep, and handler, Louise, with the portrait commissioned for her retirement from WA artist "Shakey"