Halma Water Management News - a Halma PR news blog

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.

New product combines acoustic leak detection with AMR data collection

Halma Water Management’s Fluid Conservation Systems (FCS) and Datamatic Ltd. have partnered to provide an innovative wireless leak detection system to customers in the United States and international water utilities markets.  By combining FCS’s Permalog™ leak noise sensors and Datamatic’s FIREFLY, the new system allows utilities to check their entire distribution system for leaks simultaneously with meter reading.

Deployed throughout the distribution system, Permalogs attach magnetically to valves and use advanced algorithms to discern the acoustic signature of leaks from background noise.  Leak noise data is collected by the ROADRUNNER Mobile or handheld that is simultaneously performing normal Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) operations.  A Digital Leak Noise Correlator can then be used to pinpoint the leak’s location.  Armed with this precise location information, repair crews can quickly find and repair leaks.

Established in 1978, FCS is the North American industry leader in water leak detection technology.  For more than 25 years, Datamatic has provided advanced meter reading and field data collection solutions to the water, gas and electric utilities.  By integrating technologies, the companies now provide added value to water utilities, reducing operational costs in terms of data collection and leak localization.

FCS President Rob Fish said, “Fluid Conservation Systems constantly evaluate ways to maximize the effectiveness of our products for our customers.  The partnership with Datamatic’s data collection systems will allow us to provide an enhanced operational solution to the water utility.”

Datamatic Business Development Manager Rich Sanders noted, “A single eight-gallon-per-minute leak will waste more than four million gallons of water in a year.  Small leaks that stay hidden eventually become big leaks, causing main breaks, sinkholes, flooding and serious service disruptions.  This new system will allow communities to quickly identify and fix leaks, conserving valuable resources.”

The integrated Datamatic/FCS leak detection solution is now available only from Datamatic and its authorized distributors.  For further information, contact a local distributor or Datamatic at (800) 880-2878.

About FCS Inc.

FCS (www.fluidconservation.com), 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 Director Lou Rossetti at (800) 531-5465 or lrossetti@fluidconservation.com.
 
About Datamatic, Ltd.

Datamatic (www.datamatic.com) provides flexible data collection solutions to utilities worldwide.  The company’s innovative ideas virtually created an industry when it installed the first electronic meter reading system in 1980.  For more than a quarter of a century, Datamatic has been an innovation leader in the design, implementation and support of advanced data collection solutions for water, gas and electric utilities.

EYDAP S.A., the Greek water utility, has installed 15 ControlMate-FM PRV Controllers from Halma Water Management. Currently the devices are being used to cover metering zones of at least 50,000 people each, providing an instant and measurable improvement to the efficiency of the water supply network.

The ControlMate-FM attaches to the pressure reducing valve for a metering zone, adjusting the pressure of the supplied water in response to flow demands placed on the network. Either controlled remotely or set up to respond to certain conditions (flow modulation or time regulation), pressure transients and variations are reduced to minimise the incidence of leaks and bursts due to unnecessary pressure excesses or sudden surges. Early results from the project, which is still in progress, have indicated decreases in minimum night flow of 25% to 50% due to the pressure controllers.

Local HWM distributor Olympios S.A. helped to identify the optimal areas of installation for the controllers, as well as training EYDAP staff in the use of the products, providing local language support documents, and giving continuing support and maintenance for the equipment. Excellent technical support and respected reputations have led to Olympios building up a close relationship with the supply company, and they are often consulted when new services, products, or upgrades are considered.

Davies to develop new routes to market in US for HWM products

To further investigate opportunities for integrating their products into the US wastewater and utility water markets, Halma Water Management (HWM) has appointed Laurance Davies as Business Development Director USA.

 
As Business Development Director, Davies is responsible for finding new opportunities to incorporate HWM’s acoustic leak detection equipment, flow and pressure data loggers and flow measuring equipment into the water and wastewater industries.  Davies is based in Cwmbran, UK but will work closely with HWM’s company in the US, Fluid Conservation Systems Inc. (FCS), based in Milford, Ohio.
Davies brings a wide range of experience to HWM from a number of previous executive roles.  Before his position at HWM, Davies was Supply Chain Director at Ortho Clinical Diagnostics (Cardiff, UK), a franchise of Johnson and Johnson, and manufacturer of medical diagnostic kits.  Prior to that, he was Sales and Marketing Director of JJ Churchill (Market Bosworth, UK), a manufacturer of precision metal parts for the aircraft industry, and before that Business Unit Manager for United Technologies Automotive, a manufacturer of automotive wiring harnesses.  Davies holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Liverpool (Liverpool, UK).

“The US utility water and wastewater markets stand to benefit a great deal from Halma Water Management’s innovative product range. Our products are global market leaders, and offer utilities the opportunity to take a pro-active approach to the challenges they face today” says Davies.

On 29 November 2007 Halma Water Management took part in a water industry product and service forum in Beijing, China. There were over 100 attendees, including industry specialists and representatives from water utilities, sewage and wastewater treatment companies, environmental interest organisations, municipal design institutes and university research departments. The event was co-hosted by HWM, Palintest and Berson UV, with additional input from Beijing Allied Power Ltd., HWM’s current local distribution partner in China.

The forum took the form of a seminar-based conference, focusing on technology and products for use in the water industry. Sectors addressed included water management, leak detection, water quality testing and water treatment. Experts from Beijing Water Group and Shanghai Jinshan Environmental Protection Bureau also presented on the introduction of HWM equipment to the water supply network, and the use of Palintest products for environmental emergency monitoring operations.

China is undergoing a period of rapid industrialisation and infrastructural revitalisation, and an emerging part of that includes a heavy focus on targeting environmental issues. This is exemplified by recent government initiatives to improve water management and conservation throughout the country to cater for the ever increasing demands made on the water supply network. As a leading water management company, HWM is well-positioned to provide its expertise and technology to aid these efforts, and is looking forward to further activity in the region.

The protection and conservation of all our world’s natural resources is an important and well-publicised issue at the moment.  Though emphasis is often placed on the debate about our energy future and dwindling supply of fossil fuels, water is arguably the most vital resource of all and must be cherished, valued, and never needlessly wasted.  Knowing this, representatives from Halma Water Management recently attended two recent events at the forefront of the fight for water conservation.

From 23-26th September HWM had a stand at Waterloss 2007 in Bucharest, a conference promoted by the WaterLoss task force of the International Water Association.  David Field and Steve Grainger are both members of this task force, and were both present at the event to promote the benefits that high-quality leak detection and water management can have in the prevention of unnecessary water loss.

Following on from this, David quickly travelled to Budapest for the UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organisation) Technology Foresight Summit 2007, held on the 27th-29th September.   HWM was in evidence with a stand at the Fair Of The Future section of the event, and David held a 15 minute presentation on the company’s products and the role they have to play in increasing water productivity – the key theme of the event.  This was a good opportunity to highlight how good water management technology can not only involve the effective reduction of water loss due to leakage, but also actively reduce the amount of water used through efficient pressure control; making less water do more work with less loss is the goal of cultivating water productivity.

At the end of October Tashkent, Uzbekistan hosted another meeting of minds for the water conservation sector.  The Tashkent Conference was organised by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OCSE), and was focused on looking at the “Main Challenges for Providing Environmental Security and Sustainable Development in the Region of Central Asia: Degradation of Land and Pollution of Soil”.  David attended the event and presented at one of the workshops, where industry experts were encouraged to exchange ideas and methods for more efficient use and management of water.

Having a presence in the environment of worldwide ‘best-practice’ development for the water industry is important to equipment producers; companies such as HWM are the ones who will provide the technology to implement this practice and enable its improvement over time through innovation and refinement.  By working closely with and within the industry, needs can be better understood and problems more effectively solved, and HWM are proud to be a part of the global fight against water wastage by being involved with groups such as UNIDO, the IWA and OCSE.

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.

Highly-regarded leak detection specialist HWM Palmer Environmental has now launched the MicroCALL+ Digital Leak Noise Correlator.  Forming the digital counterpart to the popular MicroCorr analogue model, the new unit is even easier to use and boasts numerous benefits available through digital technology.

The MicroCALL+ sports a high-visibility, 6.5” colour VGA screen with clear graphics, and full post-processing features.  Automatic 3 outstation correlation and automatic velocity measurement and verification are incorporated to reduce the incidence of ‘dry holes’, and multiple filtering levels are available to allow automatic correlation across the frequency range.  The unit can operate in combined correlation/survey or purely listening modes, with user-definable pipe types and velocities available as additional options.  This includes the ability to specify plastic pipes, which will impose a preset selection of filters to greatly aid in the traditionally difficult task of locating leaks in plastic pipes. 

In the past these (and more) advanced functions to ease and speed the leak detection process were only available by using the DigiCALL PC-based unit; now they are fully integrated into the base station.  The base station itself has been redesigned to optimise the effectiveness of these new features, and there are also new radio outstations available, all now more compact and rugged to increase portability without compromising build quality or reliability.

HWM Palmer launches its new Permalog+ noise logging system for water leak detection, building on the reputation and features of the established Permalog and Aqualog series with enhanced functionality, usability and capability.

The ‘drive-by’ version uses a new PDA-based Bluetooth Patroller unit with integral Aqualog noiselogging mode, customisable programming and radio connectivity.  The tailored design and expanded feature set offer improved surveying speed and faster data collection for increased drive-by speed.  Full Aqualog graphical noise logging for quick, in-depth analysis is also available, and historical data can be downloaded to provide comparisons over time.

The Permalog+ can also be used to form a permanent, fixed network, by combining it with a PermaNet radio or SMS repeater to send telemetry data at fixed intervals to a remote receiver – such as an office desktop PC.  The PermaNet setup can be also be configured to automatically send a ‘leak’ alert, allowing for immediate action to be taken.  With a complete network of devices, a powerful system can be created to supply up-to-date flow data and effective leakage detection, location and information.