are slow to replenish, threatening biodiversity and ecosystem functions [3]. Water losses can result in severe economic impacts, including repair costs and non-revenue water. Social effects may also occur due to consumer inconvenience caused by low pressure, service interruptions, and health risks. In addition to the immediate economic and social effects, water losses can have significant environmental consequences, including the depletion of valuable water resources, particularly in regions facing water scarcity. Water treatment and distribution are energy-intensive processes. When leaks occur, additional energy is required to treat, pump, and distribute extra water to compensate for the losses [4]. This inefficiency not only wastes energy but also raises the overall carbon footprint of water utilities, as more power is consumed to deliver the same amount of water [5]. Moreover, soil erosion and infrastructure degradation are commonly observed as secondary effects of continuous water leakage. Excessive leakage can increase the moisture content in soils, destabilizing foundations and contributing to subsidence and the deterioration of roads and buildings [6]. Additionally, the loss of potable water from pressurized systems increases the risk of contaminants entering the water supply due to negative pressure zones around leaks [7]. This issue is particularly problematic in older or poorly maintained water networks, posing a public health risk by contaminating drinking water supplies with pathogens or chemical pollutants.  
To minimize the financial, social, and environmental impacts of water losses, various methods have been developed over the years to detect and manage water leaks [8; 9; 10; 11]. The first methods include acoustic monitoring [12; 13] and non-acoustic techniques [14; 15; 16; 17]. The advancement of technology has led to the development of inline inspection methods for pipeline surveys [18; 19; 20; 21]. Progress in software and measurement tools has enabled water utilities to easily calculate water volume balance [22] and apply statistical analysis to predict leakage [23]. However, these techniques are time-consuming and find it challenging to pinpoint leaks, and they cannot anticipate water-related issues. Consequently, they may not prevent potential catastrophic damage.  
Recent developments in smart technology, encompassing monitoring, data transmission, and data analysis, have given rise to innovative water leakage detection methods [24; 25; 26]. This article comprehensively analyzes cutting-edge techniques and technologies developed for detecting water leaks. It investigates the primary benefits and limitations of each approach. Incorporating bibliometric analysis into the study effectively assesses the broader research trends and highlights connections among relevant research institutions. In this review, a comprehensive report on water leak detection methods spanning a 23-year period (2000-2023) across various countries is presented. The study utilizes bibliometric analysis to analyze the characteristics of scientific articles in Scopus, minimizing subjective biases, and then proceeds to offer an analysis of the overall publication trends in water leak detection techniques. This review not only assesses existing methods but also identifies research gaps and future directions for improving the accuracy, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of water leak detection systems. Additionally, the study examines the potential for integrating smart technologies into leak detection, offering insights into how these technologies can address the limitations of conventional methods.