Denver Water uses PipeDiver® to inspect pipelines without disrupting service
Xylem’s innovative solution enables the utility to pinpoint and prioritize trouble spots.
Denver Water, a water utility serving 1.5 million people in the Denver area, takes a proactive approach to assessing the condition of its pipelines, but inspecting certain pipes can be challenging and costly.
Some pipes are too small for a person to walk through, and even if the pipe is large enough, a manned inspection requires draining the pipe, which can lead to lengthy disruptions in water service. Inspecting pipes from the outside, on the other hand, requires large and expensive excavations. Recently, the water utility decided to leverage PipeDiver, a state-of-the art, free-swimming condition assessment tool from Xylem’s Pure Technologies brand.
In the fall of 2020, Denver Water used the PipeDiver platform to inspect several miles of buried pipeline. The tool operates while the pipeline remains in service, providing utility owners with an easier and less costly alternative to other inspection methods. To inspect pipes made of metal, such as cast iron, PipeDiver is fitted with ultrasonic technology, while electromagnetic technology is used to inspect pipes made of concrete.
“The inspection went well and PipeDiver did its job,” said Luke Switzer, field team leader with Pure Technologies. “We should be able to get some good data to help Denver Water make informed decisions down the road.”
Watch how Denver Water harnessed PipeDiver:
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Learn more about Xylem’s innovative solutions for network condition assessment and water leak detection.