this presentation is a good overview of both of our core service offering and our pipeline condition assessment and inspection program

1. Review of Condition Assessment
Technologies in Pipelines
Cliff Jones
February 23, 2012
LOOK BEFORE YOU DIG!!

2. Condition Assessment
 All pipes/ pipe materials leak
 All pipes can break
 1 in 10 leaks will result in a break
 Industry figures show you can expect to
find one leak a mile in DI or CI transmission
mains (>16”)
 Condition assessment helps you proactively
manage pipelines
 Control helps you reduce the cost of main
breaks

3. Control Asset Usability
60% is National
Average Usability
2 of 5 valves on average
are not usable

4. What our experience has taught us
 40% of all water valves are unusable
 12% of all hydrants are unusable; including
inadequate flow
 11% of all valves are paved over
 9% of all distribution valves are found in the
wrong position: shut & open
 Spatial offsets > 30 feet

5. Control Asset Usability
“As-Designed”… three valves to control a main
“As-Is”… five ++ valves to control a main
Find the (right) valve
Access the right valve
Shut/open the right valve

6. So What?
 You can only replace or repair a certain
percentage of pipe each year.
 You still need to manage the system
 What happens to the other 95%?
 Condition Assessment and Repair of a
pipeline is typically 10-12% of the
replacement cost.
 If the technology or the repair is such that
this number grows to >25% - you should
replace the line

7. Investigator™
Condition Assessment of In-Service Distribution Mains via Fire Hydrants

8. Investigator™ Technology
 Simplified pipeline condition
assessment technology
 Designed for distribution mains
 Non destructive inspection
 No disruption to service
 Single pass acoustic, CCTV video
and sonde mapping
 In-line system increases accuracy

9. Quebec Ski Village – Saint Sauveur
 Investigator™ inspection of low
pressure issues
 6” and 12” metallic mains
 Identified significant
tuberculation build-up on 6” line
 Validated that 12” line was in
good condition
 9 insertions completed with
average distance of 150 feet
 Provided utility with information
to target CIP investments on
problem areas

10. Buffalo Grove, IL
 8” and 20” metallic mains
 Over 20 insertions
 Waterous hydrants Launch tube flange option allows for:
 Correction of as-built drawings
- Longer distance inspections
 Pre-construction valve asset
- Larger diameter main inspections
identification (road paving) Wachs Water Services can conduct hydrant
 Pipeline diameter confirmation maintenance in parallel with water main
inspections
 Visual, in-line valve exercising

11. Montreal Suburb – Dollard des Ormeaux
 Investigator™ inspection of
main prior to road re-paving
 6”, 8”, 12” metallic lines
installed in 1960’s
 5 insertions on lined and
unlined pipe
 One line had substantial
sediment and we validated Tuberculation at T-joint
need for flushing program
 Lined main in good condition
but tuberculation identified on
unlined T-joints
 Cable insertions averaged 15 to
180 feet depending on internal
pipe conditions
Liner in good condition

12. Texas Client was concerned about low flow
conditions in pipe and wondered about
tuberculation
Photo taken of inspection
screen –
Showing magnesium mineral
deposits

13. Operator Control
Simultaneous Video and Acoustic
Clear Peak
Over Leak Site

14. Client Issue
 PVC pipe, up to 12 ft deep
 Correlators and leak
sounding did not work
 Turned to Investigator™
Acoustic/CCTV in-line
technology
 31 insertions through fire
hydrants (top insertion)
 Each insertion inspected
up to 600ft of main
 Pressure in pipe ranged
from 75 to 180 PSI

15. Example 1
 Concern about leak
under culvert
Two leaks discovered on either side of
a T-joint at a depth of 18ft leading to
18ft the culvert. Investigator™ was able to
clearly distinguish individual leak
sounds prior to challenging
Investigator™ confirmed that there was
excavation/repair.
no leak under culvert…but…

16. Example 2
 Water main installation issues identified
Visible gasket with a tear at a Significant debris in pipe despite
misaligned pipe joint. Leak identified at flushing and cleaning resulted in water
higher pressures. quality issues.

17. Example 3
 Acoustic and video confirmation of leaks at two
pipe joints. Accurate leak locating with Sonde.
Sonde Mark
Leak

18. Value of video
 Visual identification of installation defects at
the Point of Interest
Kink in pipe wall and poor joint connection. Joint gaskets exposed over 3 consecutive
No current leak. pipe sections. No current leak.

19. Value of Investigator™ Video
 Despite “blue wash” created by LED light reflection within
PVC pipe, in-line video clearly identified:
 Pipe joints
 Valves (A)
B
 T-joints A
 Repairs
 Gaskets
 Wall kinks (B)
 Air pockets
 Debris - mud and rocks (C)
 Grease at joint connections
 Cloudy and clear water conditions C

20. Austin: Does a 36” BF Valve work
properly?
Watching the valve operate
from inside the pipe

21. Additional Access Points
Service Fittings Ball Valves
Flow Meter Entry Points and
any Direct Taping
Air Valves

22. In-Line Asset Locating
Closed gate valve Identification and location (GPS) of
undocumented valve

23. Tuberculation and Flow
Restrictions
Early stage of tuberculation build- Early stage of tuberculation build-
up at pipe joints and lips up at pipe joints

24. Tuberculation and Flow
Restrictions
Severe flow restrictions due to late stages of tuberculation build up.
Leads to pressure loss.

25. Joint Inspection
Corrosion at cast iron pipe joint Clean joint verification

26. Liner Inspection
Post liner quality inspection and verification.
Prioritization of pipelines to rehabilitate.

27. Validating Leaks with
Investigator
Tap located and confirmed not to be a leak Change of material confirmed not to be a
leak as identified by correlation

28. Visual Inspection for Signs of
Pipe Failure
Pipe wall cracks and failures

29. General Investigations
Contaminant in water main identified Records indicated that pipe segment was
(construction debris) after water lined, investigation proved otherwise.
quality complaints.

30. System Mapping
 Critical for accurate uni-
directional flushing plans
and hydraulic modeling
 Confirmation of as-built
drawings
 Pre-construction planning
 Emergency shut-down
planning
 Asset mapping of PVC
pipe can only be done
from inside of pipe

31. Reports &
Outputs

32. Condition Assessment
Information
 Full data report on
inspection process,
location and findings
 Still photos, Video and
audio provided on CD/
DVD
 Coming soon - Tuberculation
accumulation grading

33. GIS Integration
 Clickable GIS pipeline
attributes
 GPS coordinates of
insertion points
 Electronic and acoustic
MPEG links
 Confirmation of
distance inspected from
location points

34. Large Diameter Lines

35. LDS1000™
Condition Assessment of Large Diameter Transmission Mains

36. LDS1000™ Technology
 Designed for transmission mains
 No disruption to service
 Single pass acoustic, CCTV video and
sonde mapping/tracking
 In-line system increases accuracy
 Builds on in-line leak detection system
developed by WRC over 15 years
 Global projects completed in US,
Canada, England, Philippines and
Australia

37. Process Overview

38. Access to Pipelines
 2 inch (ID) tap
 Existing Sahara chambers
 Air valves
 Service fittings
 Gate valves
 Pressure taps

39. Pipeline Inspection
 Operator is in control at all
times
 Operator has “eyes and ears”
in the pipe
 Operator has ability to stop to
look at features
 Inspection typically occurs
during implementation & pull
back
 Increases inspection accuracy
and minimize false/positives

40. Advanced Sensor Head
 Sensor head allows for simultaneous
acoustic, CCTV and mapping/tracking
 Greater locating accuracy as system
does not rely on stationed pinging
 Patented Agitator™ deployment
system uses flow of water to push
sensor in less turbulent zone around
pipe wall
Turbulent
 Result is increased inspection Zone
efficiencies which reduces cost

41. Superior CCTV Image Quality
 High quality CCTV image quality
 Stable image due to patented
Agitator™ deployment system
 No need for post processing –
see immediate results
 Lighting optimized for large
diameter mains
 CCTV signal quality does not
degrade due to cable limitations

42. No-Flow Process Overview
Low flow conditions or pipe crawlers can also be used to carry the LDS1000™
cable/sensor down the pipeline.

43. Key Specifications
Investigator
Pipe Material Any
Typical Pipe Diameter* 16” +
Tap Requirement 2” (ID)
Minimum Flow 0.75 ft/sec*
Maximum Flow 10 ft/sec
Maximum Pressure 240 PSI
Inspection Distance 3,200 ft
Degrees of bends >180
* LDS1000™ can operate in a wide variety of flow conditions. Operation can be
achieved in even lower flow conditions but distance and bends capabilities will change.

44. Distribution System Confidence
to Make the Right Investments
 Eliminates needs for excavations
 Eliminates replacement/lining of pipes that are
still in good condition
 Allows for comparison of pipeline degradation
over time
 Provides understanding of actual pipe
condition
 Maximize aging infrastructure investments

45. Summary
 Inspection of all water distribution lines 2”
to 102”+
 Identify issues internally
 Low cost first pass evaluation
 Lines remain in service
 Look Before You Dig!!

46. Thank You
Questions?