Following a disaster like the back-to-back hurricanes that hit Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico in 2017, water systems can become flooded and unable to provide safe drinking water to communities. EPA researchers recognized the need for portable water treatment systems that can quickly and cost-effectively provide safe drinking water to affected communities following a disaster.
If A Pipe Leaks In A Forest, Does It Make A Sound? (Part I) addressed condition assessment and leak detection from the perspective of surprises that can arise when “hidden” problems are revealed by acoustic technology. This article introduces several more eye-opening experiences with permanent and mobile acoustic leak detection equipment, plus examples of just how expensive undetected leaks can become when they turn into full-blown water main breaks.
Beyond the existential philosophy implications, the consequences of a pipeline leaking in a forest when no one is around highlight the desirability of leak detection systems in water distribution utilities as a whole. As the following experiences show, leak detection can have its entertaining side. On the other side of the coin, however, the consequences of not monitoring leaks can also trigger a tsunami of costs far beyond the expense of pipeline repair alone.
The past few months have been highly eventful for California water watchers. In June, by a margin of 57 to 43 percent, California voters approved Proposition 68, a $4.1 billion parks and water bond that will provide approximately $1.3 billion for water-related projects across the state. Then in July, the California Water Commission approved $2.6 billion of funds authorized by Proposition 1, passed by the voters in 2014, to be used for eight new water storage projects. These developments reflect that California is taking a bold and multi-pronged approach to addressing its water needs, investing both in new large infrastructure projects and in more modest projects to improve the state’s existing resources and assets.
Earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, rolling blackouts — they can all cripple a water utility and put the public at risk. In emergency situations, clean water is abundantly important, though it may not be abundantly available. When it comes to serving the public in times of greatest need, will your utility be prepared?
ABB uses digital solutions to drive outcomes. Engaging customers to demonstrate tangible results that scale.
The new generation of ABB’s total plant automation: DCS and SCADA for the power and water industries.
Reduced operational costs and downtime through seamless distributed control system integration.
Real-time control of a 360km water distribution system through an advanced distributed control system.
Improved water reliability and lifecycle costs through total control of a one hundred mile transfer system.
100% available water in the driest of deserts through highly efficient desalination.
Plant visibility and control with no downtime through a unified control system.
Protecting coastal cities through accurate flood prevention solutions.
It has long been established that predictive maintenance of existing equipment will reduce operating costs and help ensure safe operation.
Many utilities today are investing in advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). However, many of these same utilities often don’t realize the breadth of capabilities that a smart utility network (SUN) now offers. In the past, AMI networks were typically used for accurate metering and billing. Today, a smart utility network builds upon traditional AMI to provide multiple advantages across the full water cycle — and beyond.
Many utilities are embracing the concept of smart utility networks to make their systems more efficient and enhance customer service. Smart utility networks provide the ability to improve every part of the water cycle. However, having the right metrology for each application is critical to ensuring the reliability and accuracy of the data being collected.
If A Pipe Leaks In A Forest, Does It Make A Sound? (Part I) addressed condition assessment and leak detection from the perspective of surprises that can arise when “hidden” problems are revealed by acoustic technology. This article introduces several more eye-opening experiences with permanent and mobile acoustic leak detection equipment, plus examples of just how expensive undetected leaks can become when they turn into full-blown water main breaks.
Utility managers are facing increasing financial and sustainability pressures regarding water loss throughout their systems. An American Water Works Association (AWWA) white paper titled The State of Water Loss Control in Drinking Water Utilities notes that “all utilities incur inefficiencies, or losses, in both supply- and customer-related functions of their operations.”
Russelectric, a leading manufacturer of power control systems and automatic transfer switches, announced recently that it has been awarded the contract to supply Charlotte Water with paralleling switchgear for their water and wastewater treatment facilities.
A 15-year-old boy in Kentucky was swept into a drainage pipe by floodwaters while he was playing in his backyard on the night of August 31.
An explosion at a water reclamation plant in Chicago on August 30 appears to have been caused by methane gas ignited by a worker’s welding torch.
Climate change is endangering drinking water resources in Miami-Dade County.
When an El Niño or its opposite, La Niña, forms in the future, it's likely to cause more intense impacts over many land regions -- amplifying changes to temperature, precipitation and wildfire risk.
A simulator that comes complete with a virtual explosion could help the operators of chemical processing plants – and other industrial facilities – learn to detect attacks by hackers bent on causing mayhem.
Emerson recently launched its EIM Aquanaught, a waterproof submersible electric actuator, designed to meet critical isolation demands on wastewater treatment plants during high water conditions.
Historically, water managers throughout the thirsty state of California have relied on hydrology and water engineering — both technical necessities — as well as existing drought and flood patterns to plan for future water needs.
Conditions in the ocean and the atmosphere are conspiring to produce a less active Atlantic hurricane season than initially predicted in May, though NOAA and FEMA are raising caution as the season enters its peak months.
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) cyber security researchers warn of a potential distributed attack against urban water services that uses a botnet of smart irrigation systems that water simultaneously. A botnet is a large network of computers or devices controlled by a command and control server without the owner’s knowledge.
