FACT: Approximately 18% of water distribution pipes in North America are constructed of asbestos cement.
The ability to accurately and cost-effectively detect leaks and assess the wall thickness of asbestos cement (AC) pipe has become a critically important issue among water service providers, as the effective wall thickness of AC pipe is extremely vulnerable to degradation caused by aggressive water flow.
The loss of effective wall thickness increases the risk of costly water leaks and main breaks, and traditional methods for AC pipe assessment are considerably expensive and inaccurate.
Fortunately, Echologics’ non-invasive asbestos cement pipe condition assessment service provides municipalities with an accurate measurement of the remaining wall thickness of selected AC pipes of all sizes in their water systems, helping them to efficiently and cost-effectively mitigate risks associated with deteriorating AC pipe walls, reduce non-revenue water, prioritize repairs and replacement, and simultaneously detect and locate leaks—all without breaking ground or disrupting service.
Echologics asbestos cement pipe condition assessment service is completely non-invasive, and, unlike other AC pipe condition assessment services and technologies, it is highly accurate and cost-effective, and it does not present any health or environmental risks.
Key Advantages of Echologics Asbestos Cement Pipe Condition Assessment Service
- Accurately measures the remaining wall thickness of selected AC pipes of all sizes
- Helps municipalities to:
- mitigate risks associated with deteriorating AC pipe walls
- prioritize repairs and replacement
- improve conservation
- Completely non-invasive and non-destructive
- 0% probability of:
- foreign organisms being introduced into the pipe
- loss of components in the pipe
- disturbance of sediment or exposed asbestos fibers in the pipe
- Low cost of implementation
- Does not disrupt flow or service
- No requirement to close service take-offs
- No need for specialized ports
- Can accurately identify large leaks many miles away
How Echologics Asbestos Cement Pipe Condition Assessment Works
- Echologics Asbestos Cement Pipe Condition Assessment service is completely non-invasive and involves two accelerometer sensors that are separately mounted outside of a selected section AC pipe on air valves, fire hydrants or other existing appurtenances.
- Distances between the two sensors can range anywhere from 150ft (50m) to more than 600ft (200m).
- Acoustic signals are transmitted along the span of pipe, while a correlator listens for changes in the signals’ propagation velocity; slow propagation velocities are indicative of changes in the pipe’s wall thickness.
- The correlator also listens for leaks that may exist in the span of pipe between the two sensors.
- The specific location of a leak is determined by the length of time it takes the noise it creates to reach each sensor.
FIELD NOTES: LAS VEGAS VALLEY WATER DISTRICT
With limited water resources, the Las Vegas Valley Water District takes water-loss management and asset-planning very seriously. When an Echologics’ assessment of two sections of 6” AC pipe and a length of 24” AC pipe suggested the pipe was intact and not in need of replacement, the client excavated one portion to verify those results. With the accuracy of our non-invasive technology confirmed, Echologics has become a critical partner in helping the Las Vegas Valley Water Department achieve one of the lowest (5%) water loss measures in the U.S.
For inquiries, please contact us:
Toll Free: +1 (866) ECHO LOG (324-6564)
Tel: +1 (905) 672-ECHO (3246)
Email: info@echologics.com
