Sonar Report

Sediment causes two major problems in wastewater pipes: it reduces flow capacity and it can generate hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S), which is a leading cause of pipe corrosion in warmer climates. Our Sonar report gives you precise sediment measurement.

The Sediment report uses sonar and XYZ position sensors to help municipalities to:
• Determine where to clean and how much to clean
• Estimate cleaning costs and schedule
• Estimate the ability of a pipe to withstand storm runoff

Average Sediment Depth and Accumulation
Sediment depth is measured at regular intervals and the average is calculated over the payout, expressed in a unit of height.  Many municipalities have developed hydraulic models of their pipe systems and require the Average Sediment Accumulation, which is calculated by determining the portion of the pipe flow which is obstructed by the sediment and is expressed as a % of the pipe area.

Cleaning Recommendations
The pipe is divided into sections based on sediment volume.  One of four cleaning levels is recommended for each section, based on the sediment accumulation for that section of the pipe.

Available System Capacity
The Available System Capacity chart shows the ability of the pipe to hold water over its entire length and allows users to estimate the pipe’s ability to handle extreme flow events such as storm run-off.  It also enables the operator to directly estimate the impact of cleaning on pipe capacity. The Available System Capacity is calculated from the Cumulative Sediment Volume, which is derived by integrating the sonar profile scans which measure sediment cross sections.