Schools, plumbing graduates benefit from water savings initiative
Sixteen Johannesburg schools are benefiting from an innovative new technology that is set to help them identify leaks and save water.
AquaTrip is a new technology that was selected for demonstration by the Water Technologies Demonstration Programme( Wader)— a joint programme of the Department of Science and Technology and the Water Research Commission( WRC). Wader, in partnership with the South African Local Government Association, put out a call for innovative water and sanitation technologies and solutions that will contribute to improving water conservation, costeffectiveness, as well as efficient use and management of water and waste in the municipal environment.
The AquaTrip device, which functions in a similar way to an electricity trip switch, identifies unknown leaks and plumbing failures, including taps left running, leaking toilets and urinals, leaking or failed appliances, and cracked pipes or leaking fittings. The device also identifies and prevents all inadvertent or accidental over-use.
Easy to install clamp-on flow meter
The WD series of clamp-on ultrasound flow meters from Flexim, available locally from Actum Industrial, can be installed single-handedly without the need for lifting or cutting tools.
The installation of conventional flow meters, such as magnetic inductive meters, can be a cumbersome and cost-intensive process. Its heavy weight necessitates lifting equipment and therefore additional workers during the installation process. The clamp-on ultrasound flow meters of
AquaTrip is permanently installed on a water line and the technology monitors the flow of water over time during specific set times that are predetermined by the customer. If the device detects a leak, it will either shut the water off( if appropriate) or notify the customer and stop water wastage. AquaTrip does not alter consumption patterns— it only eliminates water wastage.
In partnership with Johannesburg Water, 20 high water consumption schools were identified where the technology could be tested on a pilot scale. Sixteen schools were finally selected for the two-month pilot phase project due to complex reticulation at some schools. Six plumbing graduates from South West Gauteng College were brought into the project for the plumbing work at the various sites.
Dr Manjusha Sunil, Wader Manager at the WRC, says that the savings ranged from 15 % to 91 % at the selected schools. She added that the system detected and reacted to leaks over 755 times in two months without impacting the schools or the users.
the WD series are installed without supply interruption, just like every other Flexim flow meter. There is no interference with the pipe during the installation process. The overall installation costs of a Flexim flow meter are, therefore, lower than that of a conventional flow meter.
Once the Flexim meter is installed, it remains permanently drift-free and keeps delivering excellent measurement results, thanks to its outstanding engineering and highly advanced signal evaluation algorithms. networking tech news industry debate infrastructure municipalities
The Flexim flow meter can be installed single-handedly.
Actum Industrial
Water Sewage & Effluent November / December 2016 33