Case Study: Wireless Water Level Monitoring in Manholes

Case Study: Wireless Water Level Monitoring in Manholes

Challenge

A city required accurate and reliable monitoring of the sanitary and storm water levels in manholes to enhance water management efficiency, prevent flooding, and proactively monitor infrastructure for maintenance requirements.

A variety of level sensors were tested with varying results. Sensors that involved direct contact with the water proved to be maintenance intensive due to build-up and damage from floating debris. As a result, the city was seeking a reliable solution that required no contact or maintenance to minimize site visits and maximize uptime.

Solution

ABM’s wireless remote radar level sensor with a built-in cellular modem was selected. The radar addressed the city’s challenges and offers the following advantages for manhole applications:

Non-Contact, Top-Level Mounting

  • The non-contact radar is securely mounted to the wall at the top of the manhole and emits radar pulses through the air to measure the water level at the bottom of the manhole
  • This design makes for simple installation and allows for water level measurement up to the top of the manhole
  • The radar is not influenced by condensation or other build-up such as spider webs, eliminating the need for maintenance

Reliable Measurements

  • The radar sensor has a narrow beam and uses self-adjusting technology for the transmitter and receiver to automatically eliminate false echoes caused by obstacles such as ladder steps, walls, concrete benches or pre-cast concrete rings
  • This feature ensures accurate water level readings in the invert with no manual intervention needed

Remote Setup and Calibration

  • Two-way remote communication allows ABM engineers to interact with the sensors from a distance
  • This design feature enables remote setup and calibration, as well as troubleshooting and diagnostics support if required, without the need for onsite visit

Results

Once installed, ABM engineers remotely set up and calibrated each sensor. The city can now monitor its sewer network and manage their level sensors using the Sensor Access website. Each manholes can be viewed on the map dashboard, with coloured pins indicating the status of each location to quickly warn of high or low water levels. In addition, real-time alarms with email notifications are configured.

API services allow the city to automatically push water level data to a local server for data collection and analysis with various other parameters in their smart water network. With real-time visibility, the city anticipates being able to respond rapidly to flood events, improve efficiency, and reduce costs and onsite service visits.

Figure 1: Historical water level measurements in manhole.

Figure 2: Map dashboard displays sensor status and data.

Conclusion

ABM’s non-contact, wireless remote radar level sensors provided a robust and efficient solution for monitoring water levels in sanitary and storm water manholes. 

Their top-level installation, advanced self-adjusting technology, and remote communication capabilities offer significant advantages in terms of accuracy, reliability, and cost savings over alternative solutions. The city can now enhance sewer network monitoring and water management.

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