Aiming at the lack of real-time characteristics of existing urban water supply pipeline leak detection methods, such as negative pressure wave method, the acoustic emission monitoring technology is used to conduct experimental research on pipeline leakage failure. Set up a leakage failure system for PE water supply pipelines, use a water pump to pass water into the pipeline system, artificially open 2mm, 4mm diameter leak holes, collect acoustic emission signals at 100mm, 200mm, 300mm, 400mm, 500mm away from the leak hole, and analyze the signal in the time domain Characteristic parameters and frequency spectrum rules. The frequency spectrum is obtained by fast Fourier transform of the acoustic emission signal in the frequency domain. The results show that the amplitude, energy count, and ringing count tend to increase with the increase of the leakage aperture, and with the increase of the monitoring distance. The main frequency distribution of 2mm and 4mm leak holes is similar, and the main frequency is stable in the range of 15.2KHz-64.24KHz.