SMART Sewer®

Highlights

• An Autonomous System which has a SENSE-THINK-ACT mode of operation and adapts to changing circumstances
• Detect the build-up of blockages in wastewater networks in real-time in network hot-spots
• Prevent consequential flooding and pollution events
• Distinguishes between rainfall and anomalous network behaviour
• Promotes proactive rather than reactive network management
• Low power, low maintenance and low cost

Detail

What is SMART Sewer®?

SMART Sewer®  detects developing sewer blockages autonomously and in real-time. It highlights where blockages are critical due to oncoming precipitation. It does this in dry and wet weather.

When food, fats and other solids pass into sewer networks, this detritus can accumulate and block sewers. Blockages result in flooding to people’s homes and outside areas. They can also result in pollution events to nearby watercourses. Blockages need to be dealt with in a timely manner and before they result in these problems.

The system is deployed in high incidence and high risk areas enabling optimisation of sewer cleaning and blockage removal. This means a reduction in repeat blockages, internal and external flooding and pollution events, and reduced operational response and cleaning requirements. Customers benefit, and water companies benefit from improved regulatory performance. SMART Sewer® provides intelligent operational decision support and is a step change from systems which highlight a change in level without causal attribution.

How does SMART Sewer® work?

SMART Sewer®  is an Autonomous System which has a SENSE-THINK-ACT mode of operation.

SMART Sewer®  consists of wireless level monitors (SENSE), an Artificial Intelligence analysis engine (THINK), and a web hosted dashboard. It also incorporates a feed from a weather forecasting service to identify where action is required in response to detected blockages (ACT).

SMART Sewer®  estimates the blockage status of each subject pipe; whether it is clean, blocked, or persistently blocked. It combines this information with oncoming rainfall forecast information to identify where blockages may become critical. A web hosted dashboard provides information on a geographical and time-based criticality basis.

How can SMART Sewer® be used?

SMART Sewer®  is easily deployed and operates with very little maintenance. Low-cost in-sewer monitors are deployed based on network understanding and historical behaviour. Data accumulates in a concentrator database, accessed by the internet dashboard. SMART Sewer®  is most suitably deployed in “hot-spot” areas where blockage-driven flood risk is high. The system dramatically increases observability, and promotes responsive rather than reactive management by the operator. The operator is able to respond to potential and developing blockages before they impact on their customers and the environment, and on performance figures.

 Sewer cleaning is often carried out on a scheduled basis on high risk or historically problematic lengths of sewer. SMART Sewer® can be installed on these lengths of sewer such that cleaning is only carried out when necessary, optimising cleaning regimes and eliminating unnecessary interventions.

Origination

SMART Sewer® was developed during an 18month £400k project part-funded by Innovate UK.

You can read about the SMART Sewer® development journey on the SMART Sewer®  project page .