Innovative Parabolic Depth Sensor Allows Agencies to Detect Growing Blockages, Conduct Micro-metering and Measure CSOs

Dozens of sewer agencies in the United States and Australia have found important uses for an innovative depth sensor that relies on the combination of traditional ultrasonic depth technology with the parabolic microphone seen on the sidelines of football games. People will recall from high school geometry that the parabola has the distinctive characteristic of directing any sound energy approaching it to the mathematical focal point of the parabola. This allows the sideline microphone to hear every time Payton Manning yells ‘OMAHA’ before a snap.It is possible to make the same sideline parabolic microphones operate as a speaker and transmit focused sound back to Payton Manning’s replacement. All it takes to get the device to operate in both modes is to place both a speaker and a microphone at the focal point of the parabola. This is exactly what ADS Environmental Services has done with its Long Range Depth (LRD) sensor and its stand-alone version, ECHO.The result is a technology that is mounted inside the manhole riser section and can measure distance to the water surface as far as 6.1 m (20 feet) below. A depth calibration conducted from the surface will allow the device to measure precise sewer flow depth measurements.