First-Of-Its-Kind Unidirectional Flushing Solution For Drinking Water Distribution Introduced
Revolutionary Unidirectional Flushing Program Gives Water Utilities More Power to Improve Hydraulic and Water Quality Performance
Broomfield, CO — MWH Soft, a leading global provider of environmental and water resources applications software, has announced the final phase of development of InfoWater UDF, a state-of-the-art geocentric solution for unidirectional flushing of drinking water distribution systems. InfoWater UDF delivers unprecedented power and flexibility in managing the systematic flushing of water distribution systems to remove stagnant water along with mineral and sediment deposits that have accumulated over time - restoring hydraulic capacity.
A pipe's hydraulic carrying capacity will deteriorate with age, depending on the corrosive nature of the water and surrounding soils. Deposits may be formed on the pipe walls by precipitation, microbiological activity and corrosion. These accumulations increase hydraulic roughness and reduce the cross-sectional area and hydraulic carrying capacity of the mains. A loss in carrying capacity can lead to low pressures and inability to deliver fire flows, especially during high demand periods. Slow-moving water can also result in a loss of chlorine residuals at stagnant spots, creating a public health risk. Problems associated with water quality degradation are particularly acute in dead-end lines and low-demand portions of water distribution systems.
Unidirectional flushing (UDF) is the most effective way to clean water mains and maintain water quality and system capacity. It also requires the least amount of water of any cleaning method. UDF involves the closure of valves and opening of hydrants to create a one-way flow in the water mains that removes built-up sediment. This type of high-speed flushing (5 to 6 ft/sec) increases the swiftness of the water in the mains, maximizing the shear velocity near the pipe wall. This produces a scouring action in the mains, effectively removing sediment deposits and biofilm. Among its numerous benefits, UDF can help improve water quality by restoring the disinfectant residual, reducing bacterial regrowth, dislodging biofilms, removing sediments and deposits, controlling corrosion, restoring flows and pressures, eliminating taste and odor problems, and reducing disinfectant demand throughout the system. These benefits prolong the life expectancy of the distribution system and reduce the potential for waterborne disease outbreaks.
Built atop ArcGIS (ESRI, Redlands, California), InfoWater UDF seamlessly integrates advanced water network modeling with the latest generation of ESRI GIS technology. The groundbreaking application capitalizes on the intelligence and versatility of the GIS geodatabase architecture to help water utilities develop flushing sequences for each flushing zone, quickly identify which fire hydrants and water main valves should be manipulated for proper cleaning while avoiding excessive pressure drops (e.g., below 20 psi), and maintaining the desired level of hydraulic performance in the distribution system. The program also computes the minimum flushing time, the total flushing volume and pipe length, the flushing velocity of every pipe in the sequence, and the available flow at the minimum residual pressure. The hydraulic impact of each flushing sequence is also checked to ensure that the desired minimum pressure is maintained throughout the system.
"No one in the water distribution modeling software industry has introduced more geocentric innovations and done more than MWH Soft to bring users together and build a community whose value grows exponentially as the community grows," said Paul F. Boulos, Ph.D, President and COO of MWH Soft. "Our customers have been asking for this important modeling capability, and we created InfoWater UDF to make unidirectional flushing the simplest, most powerful tool with the highest pound-for-pound return. It is the ultimate approach to developing the most effective flushing program to sustain safer, more reliable drinking water supply infrastructures. We are proud to introduce a revolutionary product that will make an immediate difference in people's lives, our communities, and our society."
SOURCE: MWH Soft