Flow Control and Monitoring

Flow Control and Monitoring
Software enables easier operations and asset management

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Software enables easier operations and asset management  

Problem: The city of Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada, has made significant investments in monitoring instrumentation for its water and wastewater systems, and was seeking a data management solution. The project identified the need to provide leakage control flow monitoring and solve the city’s need to monitor and alarm other processes at its facilities. Data was collected manually and alarm notifications were done through a third-party auto-dialer system.  

Solution: In October 2013, the city implemented FlowWorks to monitor the operation of its water systems. Chris Mummery, the city of Kimberley utilities supervisor, stated how useful FlowWorks data processing tools are for making informed decisions. “With FlowWorks, we know what’s actually going on in the field. Operations staff and management alike utilize FlowWorks on a daily basis. The first thing I do in the morning after checking my emails is go to FlowWorks and track trends. We have been able to pick up on leaks and issues at PRV stations much, much faster than in the past.” The city no longer needs to manually record compliance monitoring data, and performance reporting is much easier, freeing up time for both operations and management personnel.  

Result: The city of Kimberley has expressed its intentions to expand its use of FlowWorks to include all of its water and wastewater sites, along with weather stations and temperature sensors on the road to the Kimberley Alpine Resort. 888/400-3288; www.flowworks.com.


Program helps municipality build mobile interface

Problem: Union Township in central Michigan provides water and sewer service for approximately 10,000 area residents. It used to be that staff members at Union Township’s Water & Sewer Department had to drive to each equipment location in the township’s 28-square-mile area. They’d read flow rates, tank levels, pump status and other data from wells, pumping stations and water treatment plants, then bring the data back to department headquarters. All this travel took a lot of time away from maintaining and improving existing systems.

Solution: WWTP superintendent Michael Dearing and chief water operator Shaun McBride chose to leverage mobile technology for monitoring and controlling their systems and implemented groov from Opto 22. With its drag-and-drop
construction, groov helped build their own mobile interface to their systems, without having to write any software code. “For wastewater we monitor flows, power consumption and tank levels,” says Dearing, as well as key metrics like
dissolved oxygen levels, pH and turbidity.

Result: “We were surprised that we were up and running so quickly with a new product,” McBride says. “The groov interfaces provide equipment status, process measurements and much more, right on our mobile phones.” 800/321-6786; www.opto22.com.


Custom product created for sewer flow measurement

Problem: The wastewater department of a municipality near Wellington, New Zealand, needed to accurately monitor the flow through sewage pipes for both quantity and user profiling. The existing products, being somewhat bulky and cumbersome to install, resulted in clogs, which in turn led to inaccurate data. In addition, regular maintenance was required to keep the barometric reference (vent) from water/humidity ingress, resulting in product damage and measurement errors.  

Solution: The city selected the VL4563 slimline pressure/level transmitter from PMC Engineering, which had been configured for a side-entry cable, providing a clean, low-profile installation. Both the transmitter and cable were attached to a 5-inch expandable band to suit the pipe size. The transmitter, being located at the
bottom of the pipe, was able to measure the level in real time, monitoring flow. An MP-11 Moisture Protection Reference Volume protected the transmitter’s atmospheric reference to avoid errors due to changes in barometric pressure. The MP-11 requires zero maintenance.

Result: Due to the ease of installation, the low profile and small size of both the transmitter and cable with preassembly possible prior to installation, the city quickly adopted the solution. The use of the MP-11 was a major feature for ongoing time and cost savings. 203/792-8686; www.pmc1.com.



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