Flow Meters & Pressure Gauges
If you’re the manager, operator, or engineer of a municipal water treatment or distribution center, you need reliable information. That’s why High Tide Technologies offers a comprehensive supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) solution based in the cloud.
Our comprehensive SCADA monitoring software makes it easy for you to monitor every aspect of your system. Using any internet-enabled device, you’ll be able to check in on the status of your equipment health and system functionality, so you know how your system is running at various checkpoints.
In this post, we’re going to shine a light on two pieces of equipment that play an integral role in a municipal water collection or distribution system, especially in regard to leak detection: flow meters and pressure gauges. Here’s what you need to know about flow meters, flow rate, and the role of the water pressure gauge in a municipal system.
What Is a Flow Meter?
A water flow meter or sensor is used to measure volumetric flow of a liquid or gas. In the municipal water industry, it is used to measure the flow rate of the water into and out of the municipal collection, treatment and distribution system. The rate of water flow is important to proper treatment and adequate distribution of the water.
These meters need regular calibration, and our SCADA system can help you keep track of when your water flow meters have been calibrated and how to ensure the accuracy of the readings provided by the meters.
What Is Flow Rate?
Flow rate is an important metric for water and wastewater operators. The rate of flow refers to the number of gallons per minute of water passing through a particular pipe or fixture. Industrial, commercial and residential plumbing systems have a range of acceptable rates of flow for water.
If the rate of water flow is too low, this can cause issues for equipment. For example, water-cooled equipment may overheat if the flow of water is insufficient. If the rate of flow is too high, pipes can crack or burst, resulting in serious water damage.
What Is a Pressure Gauge?
A water pressure gauge monitors the pressure level of the water. Water is able to move through the distribution system because it is pressurized. If the pressure drops too low, water may barely trickle out of faucets at the customer level.
Fluctuations in pressure may cause problems at multiple points in a municipality’s water collection, treatment, or distribution system. If the pressure is too high, manhole covers could burst out of place, and plumbing and fixtures could be damaged or destroyed in industrial, commercial, and residential properties.
Types of Water Pressure Gauges
There are two types of gauges, including manometer and bourdon tubes. The bourdon tube style is the most common one used in the municipal water collection, treatment, and distribution industry. It has a readable dial with a hand that indicates the current pressure.
The manometer is a U-shaped tube. It contains a liquid and marks on the sides of the glass tubes. The water pressure can be tracked by reading the level of the liquid and comparing it to the markings on the glass.
How Flow Meters & Pressure Gauges Improve the Efficiency of Municipal Water Systems
Flow meters and pressure gauges work together with our cloud-based SCADA system to enhance the efficiency of all types of municipal water collection, treatment and distribution systems. One way they do this is through leak detection.
The remote monitoring technology we offer allows you to detect leaks before they become a major problem and cause a large loss of water. A strategically placed flow meter and pressure gauge at various points in your water collection, treatment, or distribution system can communicate with our SCADA system and send automatic alerts to operators.
Our SCADA software analyzes each new piece of data and informs you of signs of a leak. For example, if the pressure gauge readings are higher at the start of a distribution pipe than they are at the end of it, there’s a leak somewhere in that segment of the pipe.
Once you know what pipe segment is affected, you can then use acoustic leak detection to pinpoint a narrow area where the leak could be located. When the gauges are paired with our cloud-based software, your distribution system audits for metered and unmetered usage will be more efficient.
Optimize Your System Efficiency
When you’re ready to optimize efficiency, safety, performance, and decision-making, our software is the right choice. We’re available to answer your questions about how our SCADA system works and how to make the most of the remote monitoring capabilities afforded by our cloud-based solution.