City of Arvada Combines Flo-Dar with Telemetry in Sewer Flow Monitoring Program

In the midst of celebrating it's 100th anniversary, the City of Arvada, Colorado is also in the process of updating their comprehensive plan. The updated plan will address key issues and challenges affecting Arvadaâs current and future growth. Located just minutes from Denver, Arvada is known as one of the most progressive cities in the Denver metropolitan area.

On the list of issues to address in the updated plan was the cityâs wastewater collection and treatment program. A recent call to action for Arvadaâs Wastewater Department was the accurate monitoring of flow rates in some of their larger sewer trunk lines - those ranging in size from 15 to 36 inches. Arvadaâs Wastewater Department is responsible for the management of wastewater disposal and collection, as well as maintenance and repair of wastewater lines. According to Pete Adler, Wastewater Superintendent for the City of Arvada, 'One of our primary sewer trunk lines, where there is development to the west of the city, needs to be monitored to determine capacity levels. The information will be used to determine future infrastructure upgrading requirements."  He adds, 'The city did not have any flowmeters that could monitor sewer lines that were larger than 15 inches.  We began researching different types of flowmeters using industry trade publications and internet searches, as well as contacting local flowmeter manufacturerâs representatives.ä  

The cityâs 'wish listä of flowmeter features included non-contact sensors and remote communication capabilities. The flow monitoring program would be performed utilizing city wastewater department personnel versus an outside consulting firm or contractor therefore maximum efficiency and controlled program costs were of utmost importance. Adler states, 'A big positive for us would be the use of flowmeters, that after installation, did not require workers to make frequent trips to monitoring sites to physically go down in the manhole to read the meters. I especially did not want any sensors submerged in the flow because our flows run between 10-12 inches at all times. Iâd rather avoid that safety issue altogether. The less manhole entry we have to make, the better."

Brian Dieke, Sales Engineer for the Water Technology Group (WTG), a manufacturerâs representative located in Denver was contacted by Adler regarding the cityâs flowmeter search. WTG represents flowmeter product lines from several manufacturers including Marsh-McBirney, who they represent in the states of Colorado and New Mexico as well as southeastern Wyoming and western Nebraska.  Prior to joining WTG, Dieke was employed as a civil engineer in the Water and Sewer Department for the City of Arvada and was familiar with the challenges and issues facing the city. Without hesitation, Dieke recommended Marsh-McBirneyâs Flo-Dar Radar Velocity/Area Flowmeter as the ideal solution for the cityâs monitoring program.  The portable Flo-Dar flowmeter easily met the cityâs criteria including the use of non-contact sensors as well as the ability to eliminate manhole entry during site visits. 

The Flo-Dar family of flowmeters provide a revolutionary approach to open channel and sewer flow monitoring. Flo-Dar combines digital doppler radar velocity sensing technology with ultrasonic pulse echo level sensing to remotely measure open channel flows. Flo-Dar transmits a digital Doppler radar beam that interacts with the fluid and reflects back signals at a different frequency than that which was transmitted. These reflected signals are compared with the transmitted frequency. The resulting frequency shift provides an accurate measure of the velocity and the direction of the flow. Level is detected by ultrasonic pulse echo. Flow is then calculated based on the Continuity Equation: Q = V x A, Where Q = Flow, V = Average Velocity and A = Area. The Flo-Dar sensor can be easily installed using either a temporary mount that utilizes a jack-bar style design for use in portable or long-term monitoring applications or a permanently affixed mount designed for long-term monitoring. 

Because the Flo-Dar sensor accurately monitors flow from above the fluid it hit the mark for city personnel who had a strong desire to stay away from submerged style sensors. Additionally, Flo-Dar had the ability to collect flow data without the need for manhole entry by means of an optional RF communications module available from a Marsh-McBirney partner company, Savannah Environmental. Savannah Environmental is also the software developer for the Flo-Ware software used with Marsh-McBirney data logging flowmeters. Savannah Environmental's ACS (Advanced Communications System) module with short range RF is designed to reduce routine meter services to mere minutes per site. Utilizing state-of-the-art RF (radio frequency) communications and advanced software algorithms, Flo-Dar flowmeter users have the ability to drive up to their monitoring sites to read data collected by the flowmeter without lifting manhole lids or even leaving their vehicle.  The RF communication feature would significantly reduce field costs associated with confined space entry expenditures as well as man hour requirements for lengthy site visits.

'Since the Flo-Dar flowmeters were installed in May, weâve used them on different locations through the city already.  We started at the end of a 12-mile line and weâre working our way back upstream to see where the flows are. During the next year, we plan to monitor the line at every half-mile point.ä  Adler is thrilled with the meters performance and adds, 'One thing we have found thus far is a large infiltration problem. We had a big rainstorm after the flowmeters were installed and we could see where the flow jumped up. Now weâll be able to track the source of any infiltration using the Flo-Darâs.ä  Concerning meter installation, he adds, 'The meters are very easy to set up. With the temporary mounts we can easily adjust the brackets to fit our different manhole sizes.ä  Collected flow data is easy to manage and share utilizing Flo-Ware software.  Regarding the presentation of collected flow data from the meters thus far, Adler states, 'We have had some nice flow reports using Flo-Ware. We are forwarding the reports to our Engineering folks to use for the master plan. The data will allow them to budget for future infrastructure costs.ä 

As this model city celebrates 'A Century of Changeä, they are confident that their selection of innovative flowmeters from Marsh-McBirney will assist them in their efforts to accurately plan for future growth for many years to come.