Wireless and cellular telemetry specialist Radio-Tech has produced a remote legionella control and monitoring system that delivers significant time and cost savings to employers.  The RTcom™ Legion is the only system currently available to fully comply with Table 3 of the Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) and Guidance, Legionnaires’ disease: The control of legionella bacteria in water systems (L8).

ACoP L8 stipulates that temperature monitoring should be carried out once a month on all sentinel taps  in both hot and cold water systems.  The traditional method of doing so is a labour-intensive operation requiring site attendance and associated travel costs.  RTcom™ Legion offers a cost-effective alternative means of monitoring individual or multiple sites remotely, using radio technology.

Should a water system fail to satisfy the levels indicated by ACoP L8, Radio-Tech’s monitor will issue an email or text alert to notify the relevant party.  During standard operation test results are stored electronically for over five years, enabling facilities managers to prove that testing and monitoring has been carried out in accordance with legal requirements.  This data can also be used to save money on gas or electricity consumption by ensuring that water heating systems are working at their optimum level.

RTcom Legion™ delivers an additional plumbing cost saving by excusing facilities managers from having to isolate dead legs  and infrequently-used outlets from the water system.  Such areas allow water to stagnate, increasing the potential for bacterial growth.

Since the new system is fully automated, all measurements taken are guaranteed to be accurate and obtained in a controlled manner, eliminating the potential for human error.

RTcom™ Legion is battery-operated, has a battery life of more than three years and, once fitted, is maintenance-free.

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Jeremy Llewellyn has been appointed managing director at wireless and cellular telemetry specialist Radio-Tech, while Brian Back moves to vice chairman.

Jeremy joined Halma in 2005 as finance director of Palmer Environmental and FCS Inc.  While there, he significantly improved business performance and secured a large grant from the Welsh Assembly Government for business growth.  Prior to this, Jeremy worked at TES Aviation Group and GE Aircraft Engines, and achieved a degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Glamorgan.

Brian Back’s new role will allow him to focus on product innovation and identifying new market opportunities.  This includes investigating the potential for applying wireless technology throughout the Halma Group, in order to introduce new products and reinvigorate existing ones.  Brian established Radio-Tech in 1993 and joined Halma in 2005 when his company was purchased by the Group.

Commenting on his new position, Jeremy said: “I’m very pleased to have joined Radio-Tech, which is established in automatic meter reading, temperature, energy and legionella monitoring.  This is an exciting time for the company and I’m looking forward to working with the team here.”

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Ade Asefeso has been appointed operations director at radio and cellular telemetry specialist Radio-Tech Ltd.

Ade joins Radio-Tech from Keeler Ltd, where he was materials manager and then acting production director.  He transferred to Radio-Tech in April 2006 and was actively involved in the company’s relocation to its current premises in Harlow.

“This is an exciting time to be working at Radio-Tech,” commented Ade on his new position.  “We have several new and important products in the pipeline and I can foresee many opportunities for mutually beneficial collaboration in the near future within and outside the Halma Group.”

Ade holds a post-graduate diploma in Management Studies and recently completed an MBA through the Open University.

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From July 27th to August 8th, the 21st World Scout Jamboree was held in Hylands Park, Chelmsford, with 40,000 attendees of all ages taking part.  To help cope with the extra demands made on the water network during these two weeks, Essex and Suffolk Water brought in two Radcom Multilog SMS loggers to monitor the situation.

The presence of such a large temporary population had raised a number of operational concerns for the utilities company, and careful planning was required to prevent any potential problems for the existing customers in the area.  In order to pro-actively monitor network performance, it was decided that the primary requirement was an ability to see the actual demands made on the system by the jamboree – and the effects this had on water pressure in the surrounding area.  With this monitoring, it was possible to effectively manage the impact made by the event, ensuring continued, untroubled service.

Neil Humphrey, Network Data Technician for Essex and Suffolk Water, explained the situation:  “Due to the remoteness of the revenue meter supplying the event, arranging a suitable telemetry link was both expensive and impractical.  This led us to think about SMS data technology in a ‘temporary deployment mode’.  We decided to use two Radcom Multilog SMS loggers – one to connect directly to a fire hydrant via a cap to just record pressure, and the other on the water meter to record flow data.  The information we received helped us to efficiently and effectively manage the network and to react to demand anomalies in real time.  We were also able to advise the water supply team at the event itself of the flow rates and volumes of water recorded.”  The loggers have now been retrieved from their sites, ready to be used on further projects including trunk mains maintenance and isolation operations on water towers and reservoirs.

Neil works within the Network Group at Hanningfield Water Treatment Works, where his responsibilities include the installation and setup of various types of data logging equipment.  This is to measure pressure and flow data, which he then interprets, making reports and recommendations when necessary.  He is also tasked with trialling new equipment to identify the potential for future usage within the company.

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