Sewer flooding sensors trialled

A flooding detection sensor is being trialled by infrastructure company Amey and the Water Research Council with the aim of preventing sewer flooding incidents.

The capacitive sensors detect depth and speed of flow within pipes to provide data on where blockages are and predict the likelihood of flooding to allow for preventative action.

The sensors are low-power devices that use cloud processing to gather insight from data across a sewer network, rather than just individual sensors.

Water companies have been set stretching targets by Ofwat for the next five years to reduce the number of flooding incidents and face financial penalties if they fail to meet the targets.

Charles Oldham, head of strategic consulting at Amey, said: “This is an exciting technology that if piloted successfully with our utility clients in 2020, could have further applications across large estates such as airports, cities that are impacted by being on or close to a flood plain or for local authorities trying to manage highways flooding.”

The data captured from the sensors will be fed back to the utility company at regular intervals. When combined with a data analytics platform, this lets companies predict and act on flooding incidents.

Amey said following the current trial stage it will begin a pilot programme with utility companies.

By Ruth Williams