BACKGROUND

Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department (RWRD) serves 280,000 customers across the Tucson area, covering 420 square miles. The department covers five jurisdictions, and two tribal nations. Vast coverage areas include urban and suburban populations with numerous mountain ranges resulting in large elevation swings. RWRD maintains and operates 3,500 miles of sanitary sewer lines, 67,000 manholes, and 8,400 public cleanouts. Pima County’s unique landscape includes climate temperatures ranging from the low 60s in winter months to the 100s during the spring and summer months.

SUMMARY

In addition to gaining a better overall understanding of the system, RWRD has been able to quickly identify and address problematic areas, including CDU site dosing, by evaluating reported conveyance system conditions in order to dose ahead of known daily high H₂S values. Smart sewer technology has allowed RWRD to minimize field visits and better allocate resources (staff and vehicle travel costs) based on work order evaluations delivering a notable return on investment.

RWRD has gained improved visualization of site conditions leading to a more proactive versus reactive decision-making process, especially in times where attrition and knowledge transfer is problematic. The creation of visual baselines and development of key performance indicators (KPIs) have minimized issues and alleviated known odors. And, the 24/7/365 eyes and ears of the sewer allow real-time evaluation of any changes in the system, making chemical dosing dynamic and allowing for reduction in chemical costs and/or allocation of saved chemicals to timeframes when needed.

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