Baltimore Water Main Inspected With High-Tech Probe

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Government Technology

A probe-like device has made city water main inspections more high-tech and
convenient for residents in Baltimore.

Called PipeDiver, the tool is dropped into one end of a water main where it
scans the interior with an electromagnetic field. It stores the data and is carried
downstream and then is extracted at the other end of the line. Analysts upload
the data and create a virtual map of pipe sections, looking for structural
disturbances that could indicate damage.

The technology allows water to flow uninterrupted to homes and businesses,
instead of shutting down service to do a manual, visual inspection of the pipe’s
stability.

Baltimore used PipeDiver earlier this month to evaluate a 6.5-mile stretch of
concrete cylinder pipe that services part of the city, along with areas of
Baltimore, Howard and Anne Arundel counties in Maryland. Structural analysis
of the water main is expected back in a few weeks.

Kurt Kocher, a spokesman for the Baltimore Department of Public Works, said
not shutting down water service to do the work was a critical factor in using the
technology, as the pipeline delivers water to major facilities in the area.

Pure Technologies is conducting the work and has had PipeDiver in its arsenal
for a couple of years. The company specializes in inspecting, monitoring and
the management of physical infrastructure such as water and hydrocarbon
pipelines, buildings and bridges.

Travis Wagner, an engineering manager with the company, called the
technology "a rather in-depth process" and said it’s engineered by the company
to use electromagnetic fields to scan "pre-stressed" pipe.

After data from the PipeDiver is recovered, specially trained analysts create a
table of each 16- to 20-foot section of a pipe and examine the electromagnetic
signal for both the location and magnitude of the stress on the pipe. The
information is rechecked and then compared to any previously available data on
the specific pipe section.

Wagner added that electromagnetic inspection devices similar to PipeDiver have
been used in the gas industry for years, but the technology is just now being
adapted for use in water pipes.

"PipeDiver’s theory of deployment came from that idea, but it’s not as
cumbersome," Wagner said. "It doesn’t take specialized insertion and extraction
equipment."

Bursting at the Seams

The Baltimore project comes with a hefty price tag — $1.5 million. That number
includes the inspection and also some potential repairs, once the analysis
uncovers what sections of the water main may need some work done.

The area has a history of water main problems.

Maryland has experienced a variety of ruptures over the years, including one in
Howard County in June 1990. County officials traced the cause to construction
defects. According to The Baltimore Sun, that burst was the sixth in the pipeline
since 1979. The pipes were supposed to last for more than a century.

Another incident occurred in Towson in 2002 and most recently, in Dundalk in
2009, which flooded roads, cars and homes.

Kocher said Baltimore started investigating the stability of its pre-stressed
concrete pipes after the Towson rupture and has made it a priority to stay
abreast of the latest technology to help spot potential problems with the water
mains before they happen.

The current Baltimore water main under evaluation is one of the primary
transmission pipes in the northwest service area of the city. The cost of the job
has the price of some preliminary repair estimates built in, but Wagner pointed
out that usually 1 percent or less actually need any sort of major overhaul.

Wagner said that just because PipeDiver may uncover a small amount of distress
on a pipe doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be replaced. By being proactive
now in identifying those trouble areas with the probe, Baltimore could
potentially save millions of dollars — and ensure the health of the Charm City’s
underground infrastructure — in the future.

"Oftentimes we’re talking about one or two leaks or failures on a pipe. … We
can manage these for a very small percentage of the cost a replacement,"
Wagner said.