New Water Leak Detection Technology

New Patent Pending Multi-Sensor Probe Represents First Device to Accurately Find and Measure Water Losses

Water utilities commonly lose 20-30% of their production before delivery to a customer’s meter,  with fixing the wrong pipe often costing 10 times more than fixing the right pipe .

Since legacy equipment, like acoustic sensors, data loggers, electro-magnetic sensors, and visual inspections are not able to reliably find water leaks, next generation technologies have been needed to accurately assess water mains and certify their repair.

“We are delighted to unveil our new technology,” said Chuck Hansen, Chairman, Electro Scan Inc. and former Chairman, Hansen Information Technologies, sold to Infor Global in 2007.

Explains Hansen, “By combining the latest technologies into our 4-in-1 Multi-Sensor Probe, offered as an exclusive service, utilities can quantify each leak’s size, location, and estimated GPM [LPS], in minutes.”

Electro Scan’s technology assesses both pressurized and gravity water mains while pipes remain in service.

The Company’s patent pending multi-sensor probe, includes:

1. Low Voltage Conductivity Sensor – Measures individual leaks and total defect flows utilizing a low voltage conductivity tri-electrode array to find leaking cracks, pinholes, defective joints, bad service connections, and other openings to ground.

2. High Definition Camera – Assists operators in navigating through water mains and documents leak locations found by low voltage conductivity sensor using a standard 1920×1080 high definition camera recording at 30 frames per second (fps).

3. Pressure Sensor – Provides location-specific water pressure to assist in calculating defect flow rates.

4. Acoustic Sensor – Records sound vibrations and provides benchmark of legacy results that can be readily compared to low voltage conductivity results.

“The Electro Scan 4-in-1 water probe was designed to find leaks not previously found by legacy methods,” states Mark Grabowski, General Manager, Electro Scan. “If a pipe leaks electricity, it leaks water. Now we can provide a reliable, repeatable, and measurable solution for the water industry, based on our proven technology already being deployed in the wastewater collection industry.”

Pipe materials best suited for low voltage conductivity surveys, include: Asbestos Cement, Cement-Mortar Lined and Coated Steel Pipe, Cured In-Place Pipe, Fiberglass Reinforced Pipe, High-Density Polyethylene Pipe, Prestressed Concrete Cylinder Pipe, Polyethylene Pipe, Polyvinyl Chloride, and Reinforced Concrete Pipe.

Using a neutrally buoyant fiber optic cable, the Company can evaluate up to 2,000ft (610m) of water main from a single point of entry, accessed through fire hydrants, air valves, flow meters, gate valves, and pressure fittings.

“In the past, acoustic sensors may have suggested locations of general anomalies,” said Carissa Boudwin, Director of Marketing, Electro Scan.

Continues Boudwin, “But, false-positive readings, poor data repeatability, reliance on third party data interpretation, ambient noise from road traffic, water table heights, pipe diameter, and the inability to assess PVC, PE, and HDPE pipes, has limited its usefulness to find non-revenue water losses and optimize CAPEX plans.”

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Taxonomy

• IT
• Leakage Detection
• Remote Sensing & Data Analysis
• Leakage
• Leakage Reduction
• Remote Sensing
• IT
• Pipes and Pipelines