Late last year, Florida Water Resources Journal published an article titled “Using Acoustics to Prioritize Sewer Cleaning Activity in Hillsborough County”. The article goes into detail discussing the difficulties wastewater utilities face when it comes to managing the labyrinthine network of pipes transporting raw sewage and the solutions devised to make inspection of them easier. One of the tools mentioned is the Sewer Line Rapid Assessment Tool, perhaps better known by its acronym of SL-RAT. Hillsborough County Public Utilities Department implemented the SL-RAT into its two locations to inspect the 2,000+ miles of sewer lines and has since achieved great results.
The SL-RAT works most effectively in pipes with diameters of 6 to 12 inches, though it can also be used in pipes of up to 30 inches. Assessing blockage is based upon the air gap above the flow and this can be affected if there is debris under the flow that causes rippling. However, it has been designed to provide conservative, repeatable measurements. The SL-RAT can quickly assess a subdivision or basin for blockages in 1.5 to 3 minutes.
The SL-RAT has a number of features centered around portability, simplicity, and low cost, including GPS capabilities. Thanks to no flow contact and no confined space entry, the SL-RAT is capable of quickly assessing collection system areas of large size, allowing operators to focus their efforts on cleaning up pipes that are excessively dirty. All data can be archived and the rating system allows workers to evaluate the amount of buildup or obstruction and assign it a rating of zero to ten.
The Avanti Company provides Leak detection products such as 64 seconds and RedZone, Flow Meters and Metering Systems products including water meters, industrial meters, and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) to maximize and better utilize the data coming into your Utility. Call 1-800-284-5231 for additional information on water and wastewater system products like McCrometer or visit our website at www.avanticompany.com to learn more about the services we provide including on-site flow meter testing, sewer flow monitoring, and metering system support.