Halma Water Management News - a Halma PR news blog

Halma Water Management is launching the PermaNet SMS for remote, wireless water leak monitoring. The new system gathers data wirelessly from the Permalog+ noise loggers, and then transmits it via SMS directly to an office computer or mobile phone. This means water networks can be effectively managed with no more ‘drive-by’ patrols or site visits, markedly reducing survey costs and improving efficiency.

The actual PermaNet SMS unit has an integrated radio receiver and SMS transmitter. The radio is used to communicate with local Permalog+ loggers, and the leak data is then sent to a remote monitoring station by low cost SMS telemetry. This combination of wireless systems allows the collation of water management data over wide areas without the need for costly site visits or even drive-by data capture. The potential for instant leak notification also means that leakage teams can also be targeted more quickly to specific areas, saving more time and water.

The product is compact and hard wearing, suitable for deployment either above or below ground. Each PermaNet SMS can service multiple Permalog+ units within range, and can be set up to deliver daily, weekly or monthly reports in addition to instant leak alerts. When not actively transferring data, the PermaNet SMS unit powers down to a ‘sleep mode’ that effectively conserves battery life.

Leak detection specialist HWM and wireless communications expert Radio-Tech have combined their technologies to create the world’s first combined ‘drive-by’ system for automatic meter reading and leak detection.

The Patroller II is a handheld PDA-type device from Halma Water Management, designed to wirelessly retrieve data from their Permalog+ leak-finding noise loggers. With Radio-Tech’s SMART-Log automatic meter reader, it can now also be used to collect water meter data at the same time – a single drive-by patrol will capture meter readings and water leak information simultaneously, for an exponential increase in efficiency.

The SMART-Log itself can be fitted to any existing pulse-enabled water meter, converting it into a digital, virtual ’smart meter’. It stores consumption and event history records, which can then be used to determine accurate billings and develop tariff models, enforce restrictions, identify back-flow and even detect customer-side leakage. The wireless technology sends a ‘beacon’-type message every two seconds, allowing rapid data transfer and effective drive-by speeds of up to 30mph. The product also features SMART View: a solar-powered, in-house display for residential customers to monitor their own water consumption in several easy to read formats.

Sieve to increase exposure of FCS capabilities in US markets

To increase exposure of its capabilities throughout the US, Fluid Conservation Systems (FCS), manufacturer of leak detection technology, has appointed Christina Sieve to Marketing Coordinator USA.

As Marketing Coordinator, Sieve will work with FCS’ regional managers to coordinate trade show exhibits throughout the US.  Sieve is responsible for customer relationship management for existing customers and will implement marketing/ advertising campaigns to locate and attract new business.

Before her position at FCS, Sieve was a Marketing/ Training Consultant for Carew International, Inc. (Cincinnati, OH), a leading sales training and development company.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH).

“Sieve’s background in sales and marketing make her a good fit for this position,” said FCS National Sales Director, Lou Rossetti. “We are excited about the contributions she will make to our company.”

Leak noise detectors and monitoring systems among products featured

Fluid Conservation Systems (FCS) will be exhibiting at the Distribution Systems Symposium and Exposition (DSS), September 21-24 in Austin, Texas.

Featured at the FCS booth (#300) will be its Permalog +.  Deployed throughout a utility’s distribution system, Permalog + units attach magnetically to valves and use advanced algorithms to discern the acoustic signature of leaks from background noise.  The units ‘wake up’ and listen during the night when ambient noise is at its lowest.  If leak noise is detected, the unit reports this information via a two-way radio link, along with the general location of the leak, to a mobile unit that can then send a crew to pinpoint and repair the leak.

In addition to the Permalog +, FCS will also feature its Permalog + AMR unit and its new PDA-based Patroller 2 drive-by monitoring unit.  Information on FCS’ full line of water detection equipment will also be available, including the AC Digital noise correlator, Xmic electronic ground microphone and SoundSens multi-point leak noise correlation unit.

Yorkshire Water has installed 196 Permalog+ leak noise monitors with the PermaNet system in the Monk Bretton DMA* in Barnsley as part of a pilot scheme.

The DMA covers 45km of pipes of various materials, and services approximately 3900 properties. In the first 3 months after installation, the average time taken to sweep the area for leaks was recorded as 25 hours, with the more recent sweeps taking only 10. Using traditional methods the average had been over 3 times longer, at 85 hours per sweep. Therefore, even allowing a learning curve for the new technology, PermaNet’s monitoring capabilities are proving to be over three times more efficient than older systems.

With the monitoring capabilities of the Permalog+, the DMA also recorded a new 5-year low for night flow, reduced by 40% in just 3 months. The ability of the system to locate leaks by measuring noise levels combined with an immediate comparison of flow rates allows for the identification of previously ‘undetectable’ leaks which would contribute significantly to ‘lost’ or ‘non-revenue’ water.

When installed with PermaNet radios, the Permalog+ units transmit the data they have recorded to a central computer. The PermaNet program then compiles this data to produce live information maps, alerts, and historical data for analysis. The units can also be configured to send an immediate ‘alarm’ state as soon as they detect a leak, vastly cutting the time needed to begin fixing the problem and return the pipe network to maximum efficiency.

*DMA = District Metered Area

Correlating noise loggers from Halma Water Management were successfully used in a leak finding project by Transco, along the Jabal Hafeet Road in the United Arab Emirates. The pilot test not only identified, but also accurately pinpointed two mains water leaks along the road, which extends over 7 miles up the tallest mountain in the Arabian Peninsula servicing hotel and palace complexes.

The Soundsens i loggers were deployed over a 350m stretch alongside the mountain road, near to the Jabal Hafeet hotel. The mains pipe was a 200mm diameter Carbon steel pipe with isolation coating, with a wall thickness of 12mm and buried 1.5m under sand, high-voltage cable and Asphalt. Laid in the hard shoulder of the important road, near to royal residences, a leak had been suspected in the pipe for nearly 6 months. With no existing access or chambers nearby, 3 holes were dug to install the Soundsens pods on directly onto the pipe.

Placed at intervals of 196m and 148m, data was collected for three readings: one before cutting power to the nearby cable, one with no power, and one just checking the area between the 2nd and 3rd sensors. All three tests returned accurately similar results, confirming the presence of not one but two leaks, with accuracy unaffected by interference from the power cable. The actual testing was carried out by HWM’s agent for the Middle East, Reetaj Technology & Technical Services.

Across the 3 tests, results for leak locations were within 15cm of each other, suggesting that the leaks had indeed been pinpointed. An HWM Xmic Ground Microphone was used to check and confirm the locations, before excavation revealed the leaking water itself and the repair team moved in to successfully fix the pipe.

The SoundSens ‘i’ system features infra-red communication, so there are no cables, and set-up and download can now be done without the need for a PC. In addition, cases of loggers can be linked to allow simultaneous set-up and download. Further information can be found on the HWM website at www.hwm-water.com.

Combination FCS leak noise logger and Neptune radio MIU among most innovative products

The R900® Permalog from Fluid Conservation Systems (FCS) and Neptune Technology Group was chosen by the AWWA to be featured at the 2008 Annual Conference & Exposition (ACE) New Product Technology Showcase.  The R900 Permalog uses an FCS leak noise logger and a Neptune R900 radio frequency meter interface unit to provide utilities with distribution-side leak monitoring capabilities in their automatic meter reading system.  This system can be seen at the show June 8-12, 2008 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga.

To allow attendees of the show to more easily browse through the products of nearly 600 exhibiting companies, the organizers have chosen a select group of the newest and most innovative products to be featured in this exclusive exhibit area.  Representatives from FCS and Neptune Technology Group will be on hand to answer attendees’ questions about the R900 Permalog system.

“The R900 Permalog has proven itself through successful operation in a number of cities, and being selected by the AWWA for this exclusive showcase is further proof of the quality of this system,” said Rob Fish, Acting Managing Director of FCS.

For more information about the R900 Permalog, FCS and Neptune, visit the AWWA ACE08 New Product Technology Showcase, FCS’ booth 821 or Neptune’s booth 1100.  Information is also available from FCS at (800) 531-5465 or www.fluidconservation.com, or from Neptune at (800) 645-1892, or www.neptunetg.com. 
 

About FCS Inc.
FCS, a division of Halma Water Management, is the North American industry leader in water leak detection technology.  FCS was the first organization to patent leak correlation technology, and today their products are installed with over 1000 utilities throughout the United States.  For additional information, contact National Sales Directory Lou Rossetti at (800) 531-5465 or lrossetti@fluidconservation.com.
 

About Neptune Technology Group
Neptune Technology Group is a leading provider of utility automation systems with over 50 million customers throughout North America.  Since 1892, Neptune has continually focused on the evolving needs of utilities and continues to broaden its focus beyond automatic meter reading and metering to include service orders and meter asset management.

In the fight against unnecessary and costly water leakage, technology is almost certainly the most effective weapon at our disposal. Several recent and emerging developments are showing a great deal of promise in not only winning the war, but by actually changing the way in which it is fought.

PermaNet is a new system designed to provide a constant and inescapable net to catch leaks in a water network. After installing permanent Permalog+ dataloggers along with PermaNet transmitters at various points throughout the network, notifications about leak location and size can be immediately sent to a central computer for exceptional response times and efficiency.

Once the local area has been identified, the new MicroCALL+ digital correlator takes the guesswork out of pinpointing the leak. A complete array of preset filters work with three outstation measurement and automatic velocity verification to provide highly accurate readings regardless of pipe type. This easy efficiency reduces the incidence of ‘dry holes’ and speeds up the process of leak finding.

Halma Water Management is always looking out for potential avenues of advancement for their water management technology. By developing close links with water industry professionals and listening to feedback from their customers, the company is able to make the changes and improvements to its products that are actually wanted and needed by those who use them. These are just two examples from HWM’s range; for more information on other products and services please visit their website at www.hwm-water.com.

3500 Permalog loggers have been installed in the heart of Beijing to listen out for leaks in the mains water system. The HWM products are covering the area encompassed by the city’s 2nd Ring Road, which includes Olympic Games venues and Olympic Village facilities.

Beijing’s municipal water supply had its first 60 Permalog installations in 2000, and 2007 has seen over 3000 more loggers added. In addition to Olympic locations, Tiananmen, Zhongnanhai, Wangfujing and other key regions are within the monitoring zone. Already the system has helped to prevent any pipe bursts or flow problems during prestigious events such as the Sino-Africa Forum, Spring Festival, and the NPC and CPPCC sessions.

The use of the Permalog system has enabled the local water authorities to dramatically reduce leakage in the area, a strategy that is in line with national policies to aid water conservation. The drive-by feature also means that water companies can greatly reduce the time taken to investigate areas of the distribution network, and this has proved particularly effective in the busy metropolis of Beijing. Many of their water pipes are large, metallic systems that can suffer serious problems if any bursts occur. The Permalog network has enabled the engineers to pinpoint leaks quickly, so they can be fixed before developing into major incidents.

According to Allied Power (Beijing) Technology Ltd, HWM’s local distributor, the China National Science Commission and China Academy of Science have listed this project as one of the “Key Projects of 2007”. Mr. Wang Yaowen, Chief Engineer of Beijing Water Group said: “The Permalog water network leakage detection system is a leading system in the world. It has already been used in America and Europe for many years, and this project is helping to make Beijing’s water network as advanced as any other city in the world.”

City to utilize 1,210 Permalog leak detectors to reduce water loss and costs

Fluid Conservation Systems (FCS) has contracted to provide 1,210 Permalog™ + leak noise sensors to the Birmingham Water Works Board in order to lower costs and conserve water for the city of Birmingham, AL. This recent order is an addition to the 1,950 Permalog sensors currently in operation.

The Birmingham Water Works Board began using FCS equipment in 2005 with an initial purchase of Permalog 3 leak noise sensors. Deployed throughout a utility’s distribution system, Permalogs attach magnetically to valves and use advanced algorithms to discern the acoustic signature of leaks from background noise. The units ‘wake up’ and listen during the night when ambient noise is at its lowest. If leak noise is detected, the unit reports this information via a two-way radio link, along with the general location of the leak to a mobile unit that can then send a crew to pinpoint and repair the leak.

After three years of successful operation, the city decided to expand the reach of their monitoring system with the purchase of the new and improved Permalog +. An upgrade from the Permalog 3 unit, the Permalog + features increased battery life and memory capacity, improved leak noise recognition and data transmission speeds, and a smaller and more flexible design that allows for multiple data collection methods.

Birmingham is one of the largest water utilities in the country with nearly 4,000 miles of water transmission lines. The Permalogs will allow the Water Works Board to regularly check the entire service area for leaks, which was previously impossible with the amount of staff and time available.