A Guide To Inspecting Your Water Treatment Plant with ROVs

Before fresh water can be made safe for human consumption it must go through a treatment process eliminating bacteria and any other elements deemed unsafe to drink. How does such a process occur and why is it relevant to us?

We’ve written about the use of Deep Trekker remotely operated vehicles and pipe crawler systems in storm water systems, sanitation pipes, and water storage basins. A topic into which we have not delved too far to date is the use of Deep Trekker products in water treatment plants.

For a quick lesson on the water treatment process watch the video below:

There are many components in a water treatment plant where having a Deep Trekker mini-ROV and submersible pipe crawler on hand can be highly beneficial to the operators.

Frequent inspections of the plant’s infrastructure are very important to ensure that its structural integrity is not compromised and that the treated water remains safe for public consumption.

However the design of some plants can make it difficult for operators to safely inspect the structures. Numerous enclosed and narrow spaces often rule out the use of a diver as an option for monitoring these facilities.

Diagram Courtesy of cof-cof.ca

As illustrated by the diagram above, there are many components to a water treatment facility. In this post we are going to examine individual components of a plant to highlight how a Deep Trekker mini-ROV and pipe crawler combination can be a very beneficial team for the plant's operator.

The Lake/Reservoir

ROVs are a great tool to tackle lake and reservoir inspections. Constant monitoring of these bodies of water are critical to ensure that negative environmental factors are not causing harm to the surrounding marine environment. Using the ROV in the lake provides an immediate firsthand view of the state of a reservoir.

Intake and Other Transport Pipes

In any area of a plant where a pipe is being used to flow water from one section to another, inspection is important. It may be the intake portion where water is flowing into the plant from the reservoir or the piping system between the pump well and chlorination process that require monitoring. To ensure that cracks, leaks and other damage does not go unnoticed, frequent inspections with the Deep Trekker DT340 Pipe Crawler are easily accomplished.

The DT340 Pipe Crawler has various wheel options allowing it to fit into pipes ranging in size from 8” to 12”. Using its elevating arm easily centers the crawler's HD camera head in pipes up to 36” in diameter. Visual video inspections can determine pipeline deterioration at the earliest point possible and can be the difference between a quick repair and an expensive replacement.

Talk to us about how our ROVs make water treatment facility inspections faster

Pump Wells

These are the areas of the plant where the water is pumped into and out of the treatment facilities. The Low Lift Pump Well pumps water up from the intake and into the system so that it can undergo treatment. When the water has been fully treated, it is then sent to the distribution system through the High Lift Pump Well. For this portion of the plant, a mini-ROV like the DTG2 ROV is an ideal tool to inspect these wells and ensure that integrity is not compromised.

Filtration And Chlorination

For this portion of the process, a combination of both the mini-ROV and pipe crawler systems are ideal for inspection and monitoring. Depending on the specific plant, the size of the filtration areas and basins can differ. This is where using a Deep Trekker ROV and a pipe crawler combination ensure that all areas of the facility can be accessed and assessed without risking personal safety.

Storage Tower/Tanks

The Deep Trekker DTG2 ROV is the perfect tool to inspect potable water and other storage tanks. To learn about the benefits of using a Deep Trekker ROV for these inspections follow the link here. Landmark Municipal Services is a Deep Trekker customer using the DTG2 ROV to perform potable water tank inspections. The complete portability and robust nature of our products make it a perfect fit for this job. Landmark inspectors are able to carry the ROV on their backs while they climb water towers and can deploy it ANYWHERE.

The Distribution System

This is the last portion of the water treatment system. Treated water leaves the plant and ends up in our homes. Delivery occurs through a series of pipelines which distribute water throughout a city. The DT340 Pipe Crawler can be a viable tool to inspect these pipeline systems. With its 100% portability, the DT340 Crawler can be deployed virtually anywhere, making the inspection of potential problem areas a possibility.

There you have it! A quick lesson on how water treatment facilities function and how Deep Trekker mini-ROVs and pipe crawler's can play an active integral role.

If you have any questions or comments, please communicate in the section below or reach out to us via email.