Dayton eyes ‘smart’ watermetering system
The city of Dayton is looking at acquiring “smart” water metering technology to try to better understand itswater distribution system as it prepares to develop a new master plan.
The city has issued a request for proposals seeking consultants to help oversee the installation of new sensors that monitor and evaluate how water flows through the system.
The network of sensors could help isolate water main breaks faster and the technology could have helped out during a massive water outage and break that occurred in February 2019 involving a line in the river, said Aaron Zonin, the city’s deputy director of the water department.
“The new sensors may measure flow, pressure and suddenchanges inflow(transient pressures,” Zonin said. “The production meters will beat theplants, storage tanks and pump stations.”
Dayton’s water distribution system consists of morethan800milesof water mains, 15 booster stations and two water treatment facilities.
The city is seeking a consultant to help review and evaluate installing roughly 60 sensors on water mains that are 12 inches and larger across its system, Zonin said.
The consultant will help identify the best locations to put the sensors to get useful information about how the water system is operating, he said.
The city has developed a water loss control plan and is starting towork on a new water supply and treatment master plan, with the help ofMontgomeryCountyEnvironmental Services.
The sensors will help the city better understand how its complex network of water mains is functioning, which will help better optimizehow water is pumped and stored and will help inform future plans, Zonin said.
Thesensor networkwould provide real-time hydraulic data, and that data will help develop a hydraulic model used for master planning, officials said.
Dayton last completed a water distribution master plan in 2007 and a related hydraulic model. The model saw a significant update in 2012 and minor updates after that.
The city says the current model is “skeletonized” and does not include all water mains in the system. The city is working with Montgomery County Environmental Services on a full system model.
This joint water model update is basically a regularly- scheduled review to ensure the system is keeping upwith technology and changing times, saidMegan O’Leary, a spokespersonwith Environmental Services.
“It should be regularly updated to maintain its effectiveness,” she said.
In February 2019, a water main in the river broke that led to massive outage and resulted in a boil advisory that lasted for more than 40 hours.
About 150 million gallons of drinking waterwere lost, and the break was hard to find because of high river water levels.
With pressure monitors, the city likely would have been able to see water fluctuations in the system that could have helped identify the breakquicker, Zoninsaid.