Municipal and Industrial Sewer and Pipe Maintenance

Municipal and Industrial Sewer and Pipe Maintenance
Rapid inspection device uses acoustics

Interested in Municipal/Industrial?

Get Municipal/Industrial articles, news and videos right in your inbox! Sign up now.

Municipal/Industrial + Get Alerts

Rapid inspection device uses acoustics

Problem
A major federal facility in Missouri wanted to develop a picture of flow conditions in its wastewater collection system.

Solution
CH2M HILL’s Lawrence, Kan., office chose the Sewer Line Rapid Assessment Tool from InfoSense to identify blockages and conduct a broad flow condition survey to prioritize cleaning. 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 technicians working independently inspected 400 segments totaling more than 70,000 feet in 11 days. They found several blockages, but overall the system needed little cleaning. Had the facility chosen to purchase the inspection device, the labor saved by not cleaning 100 percent of the system would have paid for it. The technology won the 2012 Water Environment Federation Innovative Technology Award. 877/747-3245; www.infosenseinc.com.

Single-engine Camels increases fuel efficiency

Problem
The dual-engine combination sewer cleaners Tampa-based VacVision Environmental used to service the Florida Department of Transportation were no longer reliable. “We spent hundreds of thousands of dollars each year for repairs,” says managing partner Wes Kingery. “Because the machines used proprietary parts, we also faced extensive delays when trying to complete them.” Besides repair costs, fuel prices and lost revenue from almost daily breakdowns were cutting into the company’s profit margin.

Solution
VacVision replaced the old machines with single-engine Camel sewer cleaners from Super Products. The design reduces noise levels and maintenance.

Result
VacVision reduced fuel costs by more than a third. “The Camels are enhancing our reputation because customers know we will clean their sewers efficiently and promptly,” says Kingery. 800/837-9711; www.cameleasy.com.



Discussion

Comments on this site are submitted by users and are not endorsed by nor do they reflect the views or opinions of COLE Publishing, Inc. Comments are moderated before being posted.