Utility Inspection: Flow Monitoring Services
Wastewater and Stormwater Flow Monitoring is accomplished
by installing flow monitoring hardware into a sewer line at
the manhole. The monitor physically measures the time-averaged
depth of flow and the weight of the material to arrive at a
volume of flow over a given time period.
Data is periodically taken from the monitor’s data logger and returned to the data technician for reduction and analysis. The applications for flow monitoring are vast, but specific applications are: I & I studies, strategic planning, system defect quantification hydraulic models, etc.
Infiltration & Inflow (I&I)
Municipalities that are concerned about, or
are under federal mandate to study, Infiltration and Inflow (I
& I) should consider flow monitoring to actively quantify the
extent of the problem. I & I is the ongoing intrusion of
stormwater into the sewage system causing a, sometimes
drastic, increase in the amount of wastewater that requires
treatment.
This influx of stormwater into the system will have a detrimental effect on the system by:
- Reducing the Life Expectancy of Treatment Plants
- Increasing Utility Bills for Residents & Businesses
- Increasing the chance of surcharges and overflows
- Damaging the Environment and Resulting in Health Risks from Infected Groundwater
Active and ongoing Flow Monitoring will give the system engineers the necessary information to pinpoint and quantify problem areas for resolution efforts. Additionally, Flow Monitors can further aid the system owner to determine how effective a repair procedure was in addressing the I & I problem.
Strategic Planning
Flow Monitoring studies can quantify the operation status of a local sewer system and allow the Municipality to plan for growth and quantitatively apply construction moratoriums when required. Without this level of hard data, mandates are based upon guesswork and statistically inaccurate testing.
System Defect Quantification
System defects originate from the slow erosion of time and from the rapid induction of mechanical damage. Flow Monitoring studies help to track specific systems performance traits and possibly identify when an unexplained loss of flow has occurred that requires investigation. Such a proactive approach to spill prevention can go a long way if an EPA investigation is ever necessary.