When water and wastewater overflows occur, the city is forced to react, and often when the problem is already exacerbated. With sensors and smart technology, the city can see water and wastewater problems in real time, lowering risk and decreasing maintenance costs.
SmartCover Systems provides a solution for cities. The system, which includes a water level sensor, computer, and satellite radio transceiver, is installed under a manhole cover. If the water level rises due to a sewer blockage, an alarm is sent.
SmartCover Systems uses ultrasonic sensors, low power computers, a two-way satellite modem, and a high integrity package. An aggressive power savings program allows the units to function for two years without power pack replacement. It is physically small and can be installed in under 45 minutes. Data start flowing immediately on startup. The data are passed securely through the satellite vendor system to the Internet for management and analysis at the company’s cloud data center in San Diego. The company has analytic tools, data fusion, future trend analysis, and versatile displays. City leaders and decision makers can use the system with desktop computers, smartphones and tablets.
SmartCover Systems’ first goal is to prevent wastewater overflows, which have strict liability. The company has detected almost 20,000 surcharges in the last eleven years. Some fraction of these would have put live sewage in homes, stores, natural waters or the ocean without the solution in place. Each sewer spill costs between $5,000 and $500,000 in clean-up costs, fines and damage. The system also makes it less common for emergency nighttime call outs, a safety hazard for city workers. In addition, SmartCover Systems has unique support for manhole intrusions and has detected over 20 events of unauthorized access. By preventing sewer spills and lowering maintenance runs, the company also significantly reduces diesel fuel consumption for city cleaning trucks.
SmartCover Systems won the California Association of Sanitation Agencies Product Innovation Award and the City of Anaheim Best Business Plan Award. They received the Artemis Award, AeA San Diego Tech Award, UCSD Clean Tech Award, and Tech Coast Angels Quick Pitch Award. The company pitched at the Smart Cities Connect Conference and Expo in 2016 in Austin, Texas. Learn more about them: https://www.smartcoversystems.com/.
