BACKGROUND

The Vallejo Flood and Wastewater District (the District) provides sewer and flood control services for more than 120,000 customers in the northern California city of Vallejo, Mare Island, Sky Valley and in unincorporated parts of Solano County. The District’s service area spans 36 square miles and consists of 475 miles of gravity sanitary sewer pipe, 11,000 manholes, 30 sewer pump stations, 211 miles of underground storm drains, and one treatment plant that handles on average 10 million gallons (MGD) of wastewater a day and up to 60 MGD during heavy storms.

SUMMARY

Adopting smart sewer-monitoring technology has yielded significant benefits for the District beyond preventing sanitary sewer overflows. Substantial cost savings by optimizing the allocation of resources, equipment, and staff. Through the implementation of the SmartLevel technology, the District has conserved tens of thousands of dollars in resources and potential fines. The smart sewer technology’s enhanced visibility and data-driven insights have empowered the District to pinpoint and prioritize deficiencies in its collection system effectively.

Of the 21 SmartCover devices used by the District to monitor its collection system, two are used to monitor storm drains in high-risk areas. The District utilizes a SmartCover monitor on a manhole for one of its largest drainage basins, Austin Creek. The SmartLevel monitor is located on a manhole 200 feet upstream from the storm drain outlet at Austin Creek. With the SmartCover monitor Field Operations staff can remotely observe the level of Austin Creek around the clock.

During heavy rain events, upstream neighborhoods are susceptible to flooding in the lowest areas. Being able to monitor the storm system enables District staff to better prepare for possible flooding by having additional staff and equipment ready for quick response. That SmartCover device replaced an external creek monitor that was frequently vandalized or stolen. Since installing SmartLevel, no tampering has been detected.

Data gleaned from the SmartLevel monitor at Austin Creek also supports the operation of the Austin Creek Pump Station. That pump station is located at the end of Austin Creek, just before it discharges into the Napa River. The data informs District staff about what settings are necessary when additional pumping systems need to come online, ahead of predicted heavy rain events.

The SmartCover monitors also came in handy when a pump station’s telemetry was taken offline during the construction of a new housing development. District staff relocated one of the SmartCover monitors to the construction site so they could see the flow levels entering the pump station.

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