Pressure monitoring extends asset life
Problem: The Western Lake Superior Sanitary District provides wastewater treatment for 17 communities and three large industrial facilities in the Duluth-Cloquet area of Minnesota. The regional wastewater treatment plant effluent is discharged to Lake Superior. Preventing sewer overflows is a top priority; pump stations and force mains serve effectively control overflows.
Solution: PIPEMINDER-ONE technology (Badger Meter) gives operators access to data that detects pressure transients and provides alarms for burst pipes and leaks. Intelligent asset performance analysis alerts operators to scenarios such as high/low delivery pressures, blocked pipes, trapped air and failing pumps or valves. Data is viewable in a cloud-based RADAR Pressure Management Data Platform where it is analyzed against preset performance parameters. This reveals the system’s operating state, enabling operators to quickly pinpoint and respond to issues.
Result: The monitoring devices and data enable proactive management of assets and quick response to mitigate leaks, minimizing water loss and the potential for waterway contamination. 877-243-1010; www.badgermeter.com
A single measurement solution for smaller treatment works
Problem: A wastewater treatment plant in the United Kingdom wanted to update some monitoring equipment that required a complete upgrade and a centralized hub for information display.
Solution: Various measurements are made and controlled by multiple Pulsar Measurement systems including the Ultra 4 for Open Channel Flow measurement, and Ultra 5 controllers for screen control and mixed-liquor pump control. All systems are centrally collated and displayed on an Ultimate Controller. The Ultra 4 combines level, volume, flow and pump control measurements in one package. The Ultra 5 offers differential measurement using two transducers, one upstream and one downstream of a screen or penstocks. An alarm or control signal is initiated as the difference between the levels exceeds a setpoint to automatically operate the cleaning mechanism.
Result: The systems provide capital cost savings by combining HMI, PLC, RTU and level control with no logic programming. All systems are performing well. Providing all measurement applications from one supplier instead of multiple-vendor integration led to shorter project startup time. 888-473-9546; www.pulsarmeasurement.com
