Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD) is responsible for wastewater treatment for more than fifteen communities and a trio of large industrial facilities in a 500+ square mile region in the Duluth-Cloquet Minnesota area. Preventing the occurrence of leaks and sewer overflows is one of its key priorities, something which is controlled in part by a series of force mains and pump stations.
However, because force mains cannot be accessed via camera, evaluating is a process easier said than done.
WLSSD hired a consultant to test their force mains to find weaknesses in the network to better improve their asset management strategy. To determine the areas with the highest risk, the consultant performed measurements and modeling on three force mains and proposed changes to mitigate risk. The advice was based on worst-case cases, varying in cost from hundreds of thousands to $1 million in capital improvements, based on the analysis.
Faced with this critical investment, before making capital changes, WLSSD wanted to collect additional data to check the model outcomes.
WLSSD implemented the Syrinix PIPEMINDER system and analyzed several locations. They discovered that the data generated during typical operations were mostly aligned with the models, as anticipated.
The model data showed that minimal airflow to and from the pipe was supported by a welded air release valve. WLSSD used PIPEMINDER-C to ensure that this part was not essential for the proper operation of the force mains.
The Avanti Company was founded in 1977 by Paul and Justine Devlin and is headquartered in Avon Park, FL. We provide water meters, metering systems, industrial meters, AMI 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, Badger Industrial, Hach Flow, Honeywell/Elster, 64 seconds, Infosense, Nicor, Syrinix, 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.