Introduction
Wastewater utilities face an increasingly strict list of environmental regulations to fulfill. As a result, they have to collect data on combined sewer overflow events--wet and dry. It's a time-consuming, labor-intensive job to collect that data.Now there's a way to streamline the process. Ayyeka's new Storm Scope app collects, sorts, and optimizes your data, saving you hundreds of hours annually.
When you connect it with the FAI Platform, AI Data Curator, and WaveCam, you get eyes in the field, providing you with actionable insights. It's the fullest solution in the market. Using your existing sensors, you have the market's most advanced, cyber secure solution.
BACKGROUND
CSO occurs when the capacity of an integrated sewer system, which carries both rainwater and domestic sewage, is exceeded during heavy rainfalls or snow melts. This can result in raw sewage being discharged into local waterways, posing a risk to public health and the environment.
Combined sewer systems are typically found in older cities that were built before the advent of modern sanitation systems. These systems were designed to carry stormwater and sewage in the same pipe, assuming the excess water would be treated at a wastewater treatment plant. However, during periods of heavy precipitation, the volume of water in the system can exceed the treatment plant's capacity, leading to the discharge of untreated sewage into nearby rivers, lakes, and streams.
The impact of CSO on the environment can be severe. Raw sewage sometimes spills into homes, and it's dangerous, with bacteria, viruses, and chemicals, and it may pose a risk to human health. In addition, CSO can contribute to the problem of eutrophication or the excessive growth of algae and other aquatic plants, which can lead to the depletion of oxygen in the water and the death of fish and marine life.
To address the problem of CSO, many cities have implemented a variety of solutions, including the construction of additional treatment facilities, the installation of retention basins to store excess water during heavy precipitation temporarily, and the use of green infrastructure, such as rain gardens and permeable pavement, to reduce the volume of water entering the combined sewer system.
However, despite these efforts, CSO remains a significant issue in many cities. To effectively address this problem, it will be necessary for municipalities to continue to invest in infrastructure improvements and develop and implement more effective policies and regulations to reduce the number of pollutants entering the combined sewer system in the first place.
Increasingly strict regulatory regulations make it essential for utilities to collect accurate data. Ayyeka's new Storm Scope app streamlines the data collection process, making it easier to fulfill complex reports and reduce the fear of fines. Ayyeka's fully integrated offer of the Wavelet datalogger, combined with the FAI Platform and the Storm Scope app, gives you all you need to manage CSO. Without accurate data from remote field assets, you're flying blind. An added benefit is that you don’t always need a flow meter to be able to report overflow volume. Storm Scope works with existing flow sensors from known and leading brands (ADS, ISCO, Hach). Ayyeka's solution is scalable to any size field asset.
Conclusion
Combined sewer overflow is a significant problem affecting many cities worldwide. It can have severe impacts on the environment and public health. While various solutions have been implemented to address the issue, much more must be done to mitigate the effects of CSO. It is essential for municipalities to continue to invest in infrastructure improvements and to develop and implement more effective policies and regulations to reduce the number of pollutants entering the combined sewer systems.