Working with the Avanti Company, the City of Melbourne, Florida recently began using the SL-RAT (sewer-line rapid assessment tool), a portable tool that utilizes sound waves to determine potential sewer line blockages in as little as three minutes.

The SL-RAT is comprised of a receiver unit and transmitter unit. The receiver is responsible for processing the signal through a microphone, allowing the received acoustic signal to be interpreted. The transmitter, as its name suggests, sends an active transmission through the pipe. Both of these components are designed to communicate seamlessly with each other and also feature GPS capabilities.

The SL-RAT relies heavily on how similar the sound waves mimic water flow through a pipe. With this capability, the SL-RAT is capable of assessing blockage over ten times faster than televising the lines. This process also removes the step of having to clean the lines or deal with waste flow. Using the sound energy, the SL-RAT can even navigate obstacles or go around turns, a major advantage over CCTV. It is capable of returning reliable measurements at up to 800 feet of distance.

Melbourne has been using the SL-RAT for well over a month and it has already provided highly valuable information.

The Avanti Company was founded in 1977 by Paul and Justine Devlin and is headquartered in Avon Park, FL. We provide flow meters, metering systems, AMR support, on-site flow meter testing, sewer flow monitoring, inspection and assessment services for the water, wastewater, agricultural, petroleum and industrial marketplaces. Avanti represents products from McCrometer, Itron, Hach Flow, RedZone, Honeywell/Elster, 64 seconds, Infosense, Nicor, DoMac, Aclara, and others. Please visit our website at www.avanticompany.com, email us at info@avanticompany.com or call us at 863-453-5336 for assistance with all of your flow meter and metering system needs.