Sydney Water is undertaking the first wastewater monitoring internet of things (IoT) deployment in Australia, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars per month in potential blockages.
The agreement will see Sydney Water spend $15 million to install over 26,000 blockage detection devices across 4,600 kilometres of wastewater infrastructure by June 2024.
We already have installed 9,000 devices across our wastewater network that causes 70 per cent of overflows to our waterways.
The sensors detect about 20 blockages in the gravity wastewater network per month, saving approximately $400,000 in incident costs.
The background to the investment
Sensors are installed on existing wastewater infrastructure. They frequently send back data readings. These data readings are pre-configured to trigger an alarm when certain thresholds are met to indicate a potential blockage. These alarms allow Sydney Water to act on the issue before a wastewater overflow occurs.
As the system detects blockages in wastewater pipes before they lead to wastewater discharge into customer properties and the environment, incidents can be avoided that could pose a public health risk, incur massive clean-up costs, and result in reputation damage.
The devices – from project partners Kallipr and Metasphere, are data loggers attached to sensors that communicate regular data readings.
The loggers are pre-configured to alert operators when the data indicates a potential blockage. This allows a rapid response from Sydney Water, resulting in the more efficient management of its assets.
Craig Earl, Sydney Water Head of Operational Technology, is excited about the multi-million dollar initiative.
“This is a transformational project for Sydney Water. We’re stepping into the Internet of Things with internet-connected devices. We’re leading the industry on some of this new deployment, resulting in massive savings via early detection of blockages in our wastewater network,” said Earl.
Sydney Water Internet of Things Manage, Christoph Prackwieser echoed those sentiments.
“So far, some 400 blockages at environmentally high-risk sites have been identified and cleared. We are saving $400,000 a month in avoidance costs with this technology,” confirmed Prackwieser.
What has Sydney Water done so far?
Sydney Water has installed 9,000 devices across our wastewater network that causes 70 per cent of overflows to our waterways. Most blockages are caused by tree roots penetrating pipes or access chambers, although grease and wet wipes also contribute to blockage build-up.
The sensors can withstand high humidity and water immersion. The 5+ year battery life reduces the need for maintenance and site visits significantly. By operating on the NB-IoT network, the devices can reliably and securely record and send data from remote and difficult-to-access areas.
More than 8800 sensing devices have been installed in the past 18 months, and the deployment work continues at a rate of between 160 and 210 devices a week.
Sydney Water envisages tens of thousands of devices will ultimately be in the field.
Installing the devices will allow Sydney Water to build on its highly successful wastewater management project. It is driving the digitisation of its existing wastewater networks and allowing for proactive management of blockage events within the infrastructure.
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