Smart Manhole Covers

Green Bay is retrofitting several manhole covers with high-tech monitors that will collect real-time data about water levels in its storm and sanitary sewers.

That means staff will be able to track sewer backups and flooding issues as they're happening, allowing them to more accurately pinpoint the source of the problems.

Currently, city employees need to physically enter manholes to investigate overflow problems.

Green Bay is the second municipality in the state to adopt the technology, which Public Works Director Steve Grenier said will make the sewer work safer and more effective.

The upgrade comes as the city grapples with an estimated $150 million in needed stormwater sewer repairs. Staff have identified flooding problems on 450 streets and private properties. The city has hired consultants to help study the problems.

"We will be able to collect data in near real time ... I can know how long it takes before water gets into the sewer, how high the water gets and how long it takes to dissipate. We can check how the entire system and (water) basin is functioning," Grenier said.

The technology, created by SmartCover Systems of California, uses sonar to measure water levels in the sewer. Sensors hang from the underside of a manhole cover to collect the data, and a small antenna transits the information to the city's computers for engineers to analyze.

The technology has more applications than tracking stormwater during a rainstorm. It can also be used to prevent sanitary sewer backups, and identify sewers in need of cleaning and other maintenance, said SmartCover Systems Chief Operating Officer Jay Boyd.

"The bottom line is that currently, a lot of utilities are blind to what’s happening in their systems. They can only react to what’s happening. The technology allows us to start to see the invisibility of what’s happening underground," Boyd said.

Boyd is scheduled to visit Green Bay on Friday to discuss installation of the system.

The city will start by outfitting just five manhole covers with the technology at a cost of $30,000. The covers will be portable, allowing staff to collect data in different parts of the city. It will also be usable on both sanitary and storm-sewer manholes.

Grenier said the department may buy more monitoring systems in the future.

Source: Green Bay Press-Gazette 

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Taxonomy

• Technology
• Stormwater Management
• Data Management
• Flood Management
• Storm Water Management
• Stormwater Runoff
• Metered data