BACKGROUND

The UMA Facilities Management unit operates and maintains a campus-wide sewer collection system over 1,600 acres that provides service to nearly 35,000 students, faculty and staff and others who visit the campus daily. Wastewater from more than 150 buildings discharge to a treatment plant owned and operated by the city of Amherst. The UMA sewer infrastructure consists of approximately 35 miles of gravity and force main sewer pipe, more than 200 sewer manholes, and 15 sewer ejector pumps, which are similar to lift stations in municipal systems.

SUMMARY

The integration of smart sewer technology has improved UMA around-the-clock, real-time visualization of site conditions for capacity and risk assessments of its sewer collection system. That has led to timely interventions before emerging issues caused problems, such as backups, overflows and flooding. Since the monitors are mobile, they are easily moved around to assess various locations as needed and without confined-space entry.

From a 3-unit pilot program in 2013, UMA has increased its real-time sewer monitors to 11, including one to monitor water levels in a utility vault. The alerts and alarms have reduced SSOs and blockages. Additionally, public education materials, such as posters, were created to inform students and others about why it is important to not flush wipes down the toilet and the harm they cause to the university’s plumbing and sewer systems.

Having predictive data for analysis on the diurnal behavior of its system flows is helping UMA make informed decisions regarding operations, including cleaning and preventative maintenance, and has reduced operations and maintenance costs. The collection of data from the monitors can be analyzed to inform decisions for improving operations, for capital improvement planning and compliance reporting.

Interested in finding out how our SmartCover solutions can work for you? Reach out to sales@smartcoversystems.com or call (855) 291-1980.