Flow monitoring in natural watercourses and wastewater systems can provide a valuable insight into how sewers, storm water systems and watercourses such as streams, rivers and culverts are performing under different hydraulic conditions and provide an early warning of potential flooding.

Flow monitoring technology deployed to measure in natural watercourses and wastewater systems depends on the monitoring requirements and site conditions.  Flow measurement is more complex than level measurement.   Invasive sensors, deployed in the water and non-invasive sensors are available.  The choice of technology deployed depends on the flow and monitoring conditions.

Water flow monitoring applications include:

Flow monitoring in natural watercourses and manmade channels

Water flow measurement in natural water courses such as rivers and streams and manmade water courses such as culverts.   For small watercourses structures such as V notch weirs and flumes can be used to provide flow measurement.  Other suitable technologies include surface velocity devices and bed mounted sensors such as Dopplers and Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP’s).

For rivers existing weirs can be used if a stage discharge can be established.  Other suitable technologies include surface velocity devices and bed mounted and side mounted ADCP’s.

Flow monitoring in wastewater systems – sewers 

Water flow measurement within sewers, sewage treatment works and at other wastewater assets can provide insight into how these assets are performing and provide monitoring to meet regulatory requirements such as CSO discharges.   Suitable technologies include Average / Peak Dopplers,  Gated Dopplers, Cross Correlation and Surface Velocity sensors.

Flow monitoring in storm water systems

Flow monitoring of storm water systems typically utilises the same technology as wastewater systems.

Pump Stations

Monitoring of flow in pump stations and rising mains.  This is usually achieved using Doppler sensors either mounted on or through the wall of the pipe.

Industrial discharges

Flow measurement for industrial discharge consents is typically through pipe devices, structures such as weirs and flumes.