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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Mark Phipps, Professional Engineer
DATE: June 12, 2017
SUBJECT:
A resolution to allow the Director of Procurement to execute a contract with Hydromax USA/Utilis of 11492 Bluegrass Parkway, Suite 106, Louisville, KY 40299 in the amount of $114,000 for the Satellite Leak Detection Pilot Program.
PURPOSE:
Use satellites to detect leaks in the City's water distribution system. This is a new technology that promises to help the City identify more leaks and at a much faster rate than conventional methods. This will help the City achieve its goal of reducing its non-revenue water.
BACKGROUND:
The City began a 3-year conventional leak detection program in 2016. In this program, the City pays a consulting firm $28,500 per year to canvas one third of the City's water distribution network using acoustic equipment to listen for noise signatures representative of potential leaks. Conventional leak detection programs are most effective at finding leaks on small diameter pipes made of metal. This is a weakness of conventional programs because the methods are not very effective at finding leaks in larger diameter pipes, which can lose more water than smaller pipes. Plus, the City has over 55 miles of non-metallic water main made of plastic or concrete.
Satellite leak detection uses technology that was invented to look for water on other planets. It looks for the specific dielectric properties of water, in this case the dielectric properties of potable water interacting with soil. It does not pick up sewer leaks because wastewater has different properties than potable water. It does not pick up lawn sprinklers because the technology is looking for water several feet below the ground surface. The technology is effective regardless of the surface terrain, urban density, pipe material or size. Another advantage of satellite leak detection is that an entire City-wide analysis can be completed in weeks, not years. Based on rese...
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