Rapid inspection device uses acoustics

Problem

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities Division in Charlotte, N.C., wanted to reduce sewer overflows without cleaning the entire 4,100-mile system. Officials searched for ways to determine blockages quickly and at a cost relative to CCTV inspections.

Solution

The division selected the Sewer Line Rapid Assessment Tool from InfoSense. The transmitter, placed in an open manhole, transmits tones. In a downstream manhole, the receiver compares the tones with sounds it should hear in a clean pipe. If the signal is degraded, algorithms analyze it and present the operator with a simple assessment in real time on a scale of zero to 10. The acoustic inspection takes less than three minutes without contacting the waste stream.

Result

Two operators working independently inspected 52,000 feet of gravity sewer for blockages in less than two weeks. Only 42 percent of the pipe required cleaning. The labor saved by not cleaning 100 percent of the line paid for the inspection devices. Operators have inspected almost a million feet of pipe so far. The technology won the 2012 Water Environment Federation Innovative Technology Award. 877/747-3245; www.infosenseinc.com

System extends pipe life

Problem

The aged cast iron sanitary sewer at the 731-unit Pelican Cove Condominium Association in Sarasota, Fla., had cracks, root intrusion and infiltration.

Solution

Sleuth Plumbing Technologies cleaned the 1.5-mile system of 2- and 3-inch pipes, then lined it through access points with Nu Drain from Nu Flow.

Result

It was one of the largest, most cost-effective and successful projects in the company's history. 905/433-5510; www.nuflowtech.com