Water loss reduction efforts come up big
After outfitting several hundred fire hydrants with the EchoShore®-DX nodes for leak detection, utility staffers were able to quickly locate nearly a dozen leaks in their distribution system in the first few months. As an unintended bonus, the advanced acoustic sensors identified an acoustic anomaly through a 12" T-connection off of a 36-inch transmission main. It was confirmed as a large leak on the transmission main, located several feet away from the monitored 12-inch line, and not connected to the distribution main in the vicinity of the leak.
PCCP Transmission Main Inspection
A water company in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States evaluated the use of ePulse® condition assessment technology as a cost-effective approach to assess a 20" PCCP transmission main. Echologic field engineers performed leak detection and determined the structural stiffness of multiple adjacent segments of the pipeline. After testing, ePulse pipe wall stiffness results were compared to more detailed forensics tests that included destructive testing. The engineering consultant concluded, "The ePulse condition assessment approach can be used to find pipe sections in the distribution system with reduced average pipe stiffness — without removing the main from service."
NRW Program Secures Early Wins
Jalur Cahaya Sdn. Bhd. (JCSB), a leading environmental engineering company, is working with Echologics® in Malaysia. Using the EchoShore®-M leak detection technology, a cost-effective solution to rapidly survey long distances of transmission main, over 20 local technicians with no prior leak detection experience were trained on the new technology, and were operational in the field within weeks. In the first three months (including the training period) of the EchoShore-M program, over 200km of pipeline was surveyed. JCSB discovered a total of 22 leaks with an estimated combined volume of 2.79 Ml/d.
Leakfinder-ST™ demonstrates versatility with field crews
A leading private water company in southeast Asia has outfitted several of its field leak detection teams with LeakFinder-ST correlation equipment. Leveraging increased acoustic sensitivity and advanced processing algorithms, leak detection crews are able to find smaller leaks on a wide variety of pipe material — including PVC —and differentiate and locate multiple leaks in close proximity to each other. In some cases, where pipe access points were not available, crews simply placed acoustic sensors on the ground above the water main to successfully locate leaks.
