Wastewater Treatment Facilities May Play Important Role in Tracking Coronavirus

New studies show that SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, is shed in human feces and is collecting in our city sewers.  If the pandemic continues in waves as the latest estimates believe, wastewater treatment plants could provide early warnings to prevent ICUs and hospitals from being swarmed.

Environmental microbiologists have studied pathogens in sewage for decades. In 1989, Israel set up a Polio virus sewage surveillance system. The use of sewage pathogen monitoring in wastewater treatment facilities as a public health surveillance tool, however, is a fairly new area of study.

Biobot, Somerville, MA company who specializes in wastewater epidemiology, is establishing protocols to test sewage for SARS-CoV-2. If successful, this data will give communities a dynamic map of the virus as it spreads to new places.

Data from sewage will enable communities to:

• Measure the scope of the outbreak independent from patient testing or hospital reporting, and include data on asymptomatic individuals,
• Provide decision support for officials determining the timing and severity of public health interventions to mitigate the overall spread of the disease,
• Better anticipate likely impact on hospital capacity in order to inform hospital readiness and the necessity of public health interventions,
• Track the effectiveness of interventions and measure the wind-down period of the outbreak, and
• Provide an early warning for reemergence of the coronavirus (if it does indeed have a seasonal cycle).

It needs to be mentioned that experts believe, based on previous coronavirus research, that SARS-COVID-2 is effectively removed through traditional water treatment processes. The focus on these public health surveillance efforts track virus levels prior to treatment.

Wastewater treatment facilities interested in participating should visit this site - https://www.biobot.io/covid19.

Other useful links about the effort to use wastewater for SARS-CoV-2 tracking:
https://news.stanford.edu/2020/03/26/understanding-spread-covid-19/
https://news.engin.umich.edu/2020/03/a-sewage-surveillance-effort-to-track-covid-19/

Smart Output™ Module For Water System Monitoring

Full bore flanged and insertion style magnetic flowmeters,
with Smart Output™ technology to enhance their functionality.
Image courtesy McCrometer 

Water distribution systems, though mostly invisible to the general public, are highly complex infrastructure arrangements that extend to a very large number of locations throughout a service area. Monitoring the activity and operational health of the distribution system, key to maintaining high levels of efficiency and service, requires measurement instrumentation installed throughout the system.

Magnetic flowmeters are an integral part of water system instrumentation. Their advantages for use in water systems were outlined in a previous article on how magnetic flowmeters work. McCrometer is an innovator in the design and manufacture of magnetic flowmeters for water system flow measurement. Their Smart Output™ technology is available for use with full bore flanged and insertion style flowmeters to provide the information needed for modern water system operation.

• AC or DC powered versions
• Compatible with Sensus and Itron smart water networks
• Enables networking of water meters throughout distribution system
• Queries, diagnostics, and data transfer can be scheduled or on demand
• Enables AMR (Automatic Meter Reading) and AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure)

The Smart Output™ function is an additional module included as part of the instrument transmitter. 

More information is available from product application specialists, with whom you should share your flow measurement challenges of all types. Leverage your own process knowledge and experience with their product application expertise to develop effective solutions.

Maintenance Procedures - Yokogawa ADMAG TI Series AXW Magnetic Flowmeter

The AXW series of magnetic flow meters is available in
a range of sizes with corrosion resistant lining.
Image courtesy Yokogawa

The ADMAG AXW™ series of magnetic flow meters has been developed based on Yokogawa's decades of experience in the design and manufacture of magnetic flowmeters. The AXW series continues the tradition of high quality and reliability that has become synonymous with the Yokogawa name.

The AXW series is ideal for industrial process lines, and water supply and sewage applications. With outstanding reliability and ease of operation, developed on decades of field-proven experience, the AXW will increase user benefits while reducing total cost of ownership.

Magnetic flow meters, also called electromagnetic flow meters or "magmeters", operate on a very simple principal. An electrically conductive liquid moving through a magnetic field will generate a voltage that is related to the velocity of the liquid. Magnetic flow meters have no moving parts and present little to no pressure drop to the piping system into which they are installed.

Sizes are available from 500 to 1800 mm (20 to 72 inch.) with a wide liner selection such as PTFE, natural hard rubber, natural soft rubber, and polyurethane rubber. The line accommodates industry standard process connections such as ASME, AWWA, EN, JIS, and AS flange standards. A submersible version is also available.

Care and maintenance for magnetic flow measurement devices is simple and minimal. The manual included below provides basic guidelines for maintenance procedures of ADMAG TI (Total Insight) Series AXW magnetic flowmeters. Share your flow measurement challenges with process instrument specialists, leveraging your own knowledge and experience with their product application expertise.

Maintenance Procedures for Yokogawa ADMAG TI Series AXW Magnetic Flow Meter from Miller Energy, Inc.