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3 Leak Detection Tools Every Utility Needs

Limiting sewer line inflow and infiltration requires a dedicated maintenance program and tools that can assess pipe condition and note areas of concern. Cameras, smokers and locators might be ways to identify leaks, but are these tools every utility should have in its toolbox?  Yes and no, says Duane Johnson, vice president at Affordable Pipeline Services in San Diego and a former CCTV inspection operator and flow monitoring field technician. “What it really comes down to is agency size,” he says. A smaller utility with limited staff might be better off outsourcing its leak detecting, whereas a larger utility with a 20-member dedicated sewer department might find it more economical to budget $150,000 for a camera system and $200,000 a year for staffing.

Transitioning From a Reactive to a Preventive O&M Program

A sanitary sewer pumping station is a vital element of any community’s infrastructure and a critical component of the wastewater collection system. Different levels of O&M standards are necessary for large and small communities. Reactive maintenance methods involve crisis management, and goals are often as simple as maintaining sewer flows inside the collection system. Preventive methods include scheduled maintenance and repairs throughout the system including all individual elements. Predictive management methods are an attempt to manage a system and its components based on historical data and its performance as it ages.

Basic Tools to Have on Hand for Pipeline Inspections

In the pipeline inspection industry, drain cleaners and plumbers sometimes focus only on the inspection equipment — cameras, crawlers, cable and cable reels. While all of these are essential to properly inspect sewer lines and laterals, some basic tools are just as important to have on hand. If the right tool is not kept on the inspection van, inspections can come to a standstill. The day could be a complete loss if a manhole can’t be opened or a minor repair can’t be performed.

Enhance Worker Safety and Reduce Noise Pollution With Broadband Alarms

Across the United States, noise pollution is not just an inconvenience — it is a safety concern and health hazard. A common noise in urban and some rural settings comes from backup alarms on heavy machinery. Today, technology offers alternatives to these alarms. One such technology replaces the traditional beeping noise with a sound that covers a broad band of frequencies. Workers on the job site can hear the alarm when danger is imminent, yet the sound is largely inaudible outside the work zone.

Check out all these stories at www.mswmag.com/ec/2013/August.