FELL Pipe Inspection Project Conducted in Accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Health & Safety Standards

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, USA, June 18, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Sacramento-based Electro Scan Inc. has completed a sewer trunk main condition assessment project for Union Sanitary District (USD), Union City, California. Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, the District maintains over 839 miles of gravity sewer pipe within its 60-square mile service area.

Inspection work began May 26 and consisted of three (3) days of inspection of reinforced concrete pipe (RCP) ranging in diameter from 33- to 48-inches.

Electro Scan conducted field inspection services to provide the District with precise locations (within 1 cm) of any pipe anomalies that could contribute to infiltration, providing a corresponding estimated flow rate in gallons per minute (GPM).

After a field demonstration in 2019 on four (4) gravity sewer mains, the District recognized the benefits of using Focused Electrode Leak Location (FELL) technology to locate and quantify infiltration sources in GPM.

“USD is always looking for methods to assist us in working as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible,” said Jose Rodrigues, Field Maintenance Supervisor. “We look forward to viewing the results of Electro Scan’s technology to locate and measure possible sources of infiltration in the District’s large diameter sewers."

During wet-weather events, water can enter sewers through aging or deteriorated pipe joints, cracks, or customer-installed tap connections that are not always completed pursuant to District standards. This infiltration can contribute to sewer backups, overflows, and localized flooding.

Municipal utilities have traditionally used CCTV cameras inserted into sewers traveling from manhole to manhole to visually look for anomalies. Gravity trunk mains (sewers of 30-inches and larger) are expensive to dewater using bypass pumping. CCTV inspection is often carried out by floating a camera on inflatable pontoons through a pipe and is unable to evaluate the pipe condition for infiltration sources below the water line.

By contrast, FELL inspection uses water to inspect the pipe, and no bypass pumping or dewatering is ever needed. For large diameters, pipes may be temporarily plugged and surcharged to assess 360-degrees of the pipe wall, or inspection may be carried out without plugging to inspect the pipe from the waterline and below.

CCTV is effectively used to identify construction features, roots, debris, and grease, and to verify pipe material and cleaning needs. By contrast, FELL inspection locates defects in the pipe wall that are not able to be detected visually.

Electro Scan’s inspection will provide the District a targeted list of pipes that require rehabilitation, and just as important, a list of pipes that do not contribute to infiltration.

Electro Scan is the only worldwide supplier that performs FELL inspection and produces reports in accordance with ASTM F2550, 'Standard Practice for Locating Leaks in Sewer Pipes By Measuring the Variation of Electric Current Flow Through the Pipe Wall.'

Working in full compliance and guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for safe work practices, Electro Scan is “open for business."

Field crews are able to work completely independently, and there is no need for direct interaction with District personnel, enabling this essential service to proceed even with the state's COVID-19 restrictions in place.

ABOUT ELECTRO SCAN
Headquartered in Sacramento, Calif., the company designs, develops, and markets proprietary pipe condition assessment equipment, delivers field services, and offers cloud-based data processing and reporting applications that automatically locate, measure, and report defects typically not found using legacy inspection methods. In 2020, the company was named to Government Technology’s esteemed GovTech 100 list for the second year in row. Electro Scan field crews and its authorized partners have been designated 'essential workers' adopting Coronavirus Health & Safety Standards, including appropriate use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Social Distancing standards, in accordance with state mandates and CDC recommendations. Electro Scan is Safe Contractor Approved.

Carissa Boudwin
Electro Scan Inc.
+1 916-779-0660
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