Electro Scan Leak Detection Technology Featured In New Edition of Leading Wastewater Collection Manual

Important Updates Alter Sewer Main Condition Assessment and Recommends Changes in Acceptance for Rehabilitation Projects

Sacramento, Calif. – January 11, 2016 – Electro Scan Inc., a leading provider of smart water leak detection technologies and cloud computing applications, announced that its patented technology has been prominently featured in a new edition of the industry’s leading wastewater collection manual – OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEMS, VOLUME 1, SEVENTH EDITION.

First published in 1976 with nearly 90,000 copies in print, the OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEMS manual is used by operators, managers, and consulting engineers, worldwide.

The Seventh Edition was published in December 2015, while the Sixth Edition was published in 2003.

“Our manual was originally designed to allow for self-paced instruction where operators worked at their own speed,” said Ken Kerri, Ph.D., P.E., former Director of the Office of Water Programs, California State University, Sacramento (1965-1997) and Chief Project Consultant until his passing in 2014.

“Once operators started using the manual for home study, we realized that it could serve as a textbook in the classroom,” said Dr. Kerri, who co-authored the section on Electro Scanning Inspection.

Today, the Office of Water Programs is a nonprofit organization operated by University Enterprises, Inc., California State University, providing distance learning programs for the operation and maintenance of drinking water and wastewater facilities.

“We are delighted to see our technology become an integral part of Chapter 4: Inspecting and Testing Collection Systems,” states Chuck Hansen, Chairman, Electro Scan.

Electro Scan’s technology is not only explained in Section 4.4 of the Seventh Edition, but also depicted in numerous illustrations, statistical analyses, and practical applications, in accordance with ASTM F2550-13.

In numerous instances, Electro Scan’s low voltage technology is able to identify and quantify leakage amounts in gallons per minute (GPM), often where defects are not identified by certified closed-circuit television (CCTV) operators or by using other inspection techniques.

Electro Scanning Inspection also provides wet-weather condition assessment information, not available using CCTV inspection, and can be performed year around to help locate sources of sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) and find defects in newly repaired or relined pipes.

Important updates contained in the Seventh Edition suggest altering the acceptance criteria for rehabilitated pipes using Electro Scanning Inspection to assess the effectiveness of cured-in-place pipe (CIPP), service re-connections, and point repairs, explaining the importance of quantifying pre- and post-rehabilitation inspection results.

Given Electro Scan’s ability to automatically find sources of leaks that are frequently missed by CCTV inspection, the manual suggests using Electro Scanning Inspection first to objectively locate and quantify pipe defects, then using CCTV inspection to document the most severe defects.

In addition to Electro Scanning Inspection (Section 4.4), Chapter 4: Inspecting and Testing Collection Systems also includes an updated section on CCTV Inspection (Section 4.3), Smoke Testing (Section 4.5), and Dye Testing (Section 4.6).

Continues Hansen, former Founder and CEO of Hansen Information Technologies, “It was an honor to contribute to Electro Scanning Inspection at the invitation of Dr. Kerri and share this game-changing technology with operators, managers, consulting engineers, and students.”

About Electro Scan
Founded in 2011, Electro Scan develops smart water leak detection instrumentation and cloud computing applications that automatically locate, measure, and report pipe condition assessments for water, sewer, and gas pipelines. The Company is headquartered in Sacramento, California.

Contact
Carissa Boudwin, Tel: +1 916 779 0660, Email: carissa@electroscan.com

Electro Scan Applauds New California Law for Reporting Water Losses

Senate Bill 555 to Require Water Suppliers to Meet New Performance Standards

SACRAMENTO, Calif.–October 12, 2015–Electro Scan Inc., a leading provider of leak detection devices and cloud computing applications for water, sewer, and gas pipelines, today applauded the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 555, signed last week by California Governor Jerry Brown.

The new law will require retail water suppliers to submit annual water loss audit reports as adopted by the Department of Water Resources, beginning October 1, 2017, and reporting for the preceding year.

Additionally, retail water suppliers must meet performance standards for the volume of water losses, beginning no later than July 1, 2020.

The new law will be added as Section 10608.34 of the Water Code and represents one of the toughest water loss control reporting standards in the nation.

SB 555 was introduced by Senator Lois Wolk (Senate District 3) and co-authored by Senators Benjamin Allen (Senate District 26) and Fran Pavley (Senate District 27), Chair, Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water, and Assemblymembers Kansen Chu (Assembly Distrct 25) and Anthony Rendon (Assembly District 63).

Authors of the bill found that despite the availability of free audit software available from the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and establishment of Best Management Practice by the California Urban Water Conservation Council (CUWCC), water suppliers have been slow to realize the full potential of controlling water losses.

Authors cited unreliable audit data noting a CUWCC study that found 35% of water audit data submitted by California water suppliers was invalid.

In June 2015, the UCLA Water Resources Group Institute of the Environment and Sustainability published a report entitled Water Distribution System Efficiency An Essential or Neglected Part of the Water Conservation Strategy for Los Angeles County Water Retailers?

The UCLA report surveyed 10 of the approximate 100 water retailers in Los Angeles County on leak monitoring, system-wide water losses, and the implementation of best management practices, also influencing the bill’s passage.

Electro Scan Inc. supported SB 555 as an affiliate member of Citrus Heights-based Regional Water Authority.

“This new law will represent a big change for California water utilities,” stated Chuck Hansen, Chairman of Sacramento-based Electro Scan Inc., former Chair ASTM F36.20 Inspection and Renewal of Water and Wastewater Infrastructure, and California native.

“Not only must water utilities reduce the volume of apparent losses and real losses, but audit data must be independently validated based on known water system characteristics,” said Hansen.

“One city in California serving a population of over 70,000 people has used consultants to conduct numerous water audits relying on acoustic sensors to detect potential leaks. Yet, 70% of their system consists of plastic pipe, where acoustic sensors are not reliable,” stated Hansen.

In general, acoustic sensors, correlators, data loggers, hydrophones, and other listening devices have been used to find anomalies that might indicate leaks; however, ambient noise from road traffic, water table heights, pipe material, diameter, leak size, experience of the operator, recurring false-positive readings, lack of repeatability, and requirement for third party data interpretation, limits their usefulness in many pipes.

“By using legacy technologies many leaks may go undetected and never get repaired,” added Hansen. “Even worse, under reporting of water losses may lead some water suppliers to blame customers for losses while the problem may remain with the water supplier’s own assets.”

Retail water suppliers may also overstate the volume of billed consumption and unbilled consumption, causing apparent losses and real losses to be artificially understated as part of their water balance.

SB 555 specifically states that “any final water loss audit report found to be incomplete, not validated, unattested, or incongruent with known characteristics of water system operations” will be returned.

Recently, Electro Scan released its own international patent pending next generation Low Voltage Conductivity technology that automatically detects, locates, and measures (gpm) leaks in pressurized water mains.

“SB 555 may also cause a ripple effect throughout the construction supply chain,” stated Hansen.

“Pipe manufacturing trade associations have long resisted more stringent leak tolerances for newly installed pipes, with state and local governments often setting their own standards for acceptable leakage rates,” continued Hansen.

“Retail water suppliers may no longer be willing to certify and accept new pipes that surpass leakage thresholds of 100 gallon per inch diameter mile or greater, given water loss reduction requirements,” remarked Hansen.

“The adoption of innovative technologies has always been a collaborative exchange between up and coming technology companies and water utilities,” stated Hansen. “If something provides a better way of doing things, water utilities tend to adopt them. Once one utility starts, word eventually gets out and new standards of practice emerge.”

“Management consultant Peter Drucker has said that ‘if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it,’ which holds true for water loss audits, too,” commented Hansen. “As a result, leak detection devices that deliver accurate location and meaningful leakage data should enjoy wide acceptance.”

Hansen is former Chairman of Hansen Information Technologies, a leading water & sewer asset management solution provider founded in 1983 and acquired in 2007 by Alpharetta, GA-based Infor Global.

Currently, Hansen is Managing Partner for a personal investment fund based in Sacramento and Investment Advisor to Folsom-based Moneta Ventures.

About Electro Scan
Electro Scan develops leak detection devices and cloud computing applications that automatically locate, measure, and report defect flows in water, sewer, and gas pipelines. Headquartered in Sacramento, California, Electro Scan Water Leak Detection Services are exclusively available from the Company.

Contacts

Electro Scan
Carissa Boudwin, +1 916-779-0660
carissa@electroscan.com

Electro Scan & WRc Partner to Offer Innovative Services to the United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland Wastewater Market

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. — SEPTEMBER 28, 2015 — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Electro Scan Inc. and its London-based subsidiary, Electro Scan (UK) Limited, today announced its partnership with WRc plc, Swindon, Wiltshire, England.

As part of its agreement, WRc has been appointed Electro Scan’s exclusive service provider offering its next generation pipe condition assessment technology for the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland wastewater market.

Electro Scan services will be offered exclusively through WRc’s  business unit.

“WRc’s proven track record of partnering with innovative technology companies is central to growing our pipeline condition assessment business,” states Dale Hartley, Commercial Manager, WRc.

Continues Hartley, “Electro Scan’s product fits nicely into our best of breed bespoke services offering.”

“WRc’s leadership in innovation and consultancy was a key factor in our decision to work together,” comments Mark Grabowski, General Manager, Electro Scan Inc.

Adds Grabowski, “Given the start of AMP6 in the UK, WRc appears well positioned to help utilities optimize their CAPEX, OPEX, and TOTEX decision making.”

In August 2015, WRc secured the Scottish Water SR15 Pipeline Inspection and Condition Assessment Framework for a six year period, with an option to extend for a further six years.

In April 2015, Electro Scan (UK) Limited won Best Project awarded by the UK Society of Trenchless Technology for its work with Severn Trent.

Chuck Hansen visits WRc in Swindon, England, April 2015.

Selected Electro Scan customers in the U.S. include the City of Coos Bay, Oregon, Eagle River Water & Sanitation District, Colorado, Hamilton Municipal Utility Authority, Pennsylvania, Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department, Florida, and San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, California.

WRc has a reputation for driving innovation across water, waste and gas sectors, leading the development and application of innovative technologies for inspection, monitoring and management of pipeline infrastructure.

About Electro Scan
Headquartered in Sacramento, California, the Company designs advanced instrumentation, mobile, and cloud computing applications that automatically locates, measures, and reports defects in water, sewer, and gas pipelines. Electro Scan (UK) Limited (Company Number 9211607) is located at 71-75, Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ, Tel: +44 20 7692 8729, Email: info@electroscan.co.uk.

Contact
Carissa Boudwin, +1 916 779 0660, carissa@electroscan.com

New Patent Pending Multi-Sensor Probe Represents First Device to Accurately Find and Measure Water Losses

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—SEPTEMBER 10, 2015 — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Electro Scan Inc., a global leader in pipe condition assessment announced its new patent pending multi-sensor probe that accurately finds and measures water losses.

The Company’s game changing leak detection technology is featured as part of a 90-day / 16-city international roadshow that began this week.

Water utilities commonly lose 20-30% of their production before delivery to a customer’s meter, with fixing the wrong pipe often costing 10 times more than fixing the right pipe.

Since legacy equipment, like acoustic sensors, data loggers, electro-magnetic sensors, and visual inspections are not able to reliably find water leaks, next generation technologies have been needed to accurately assess water mains and certify their repair.

“We are delighted to unveil our new technology,” said Chuck Hansen, Chairman, Electro Scan Inc. and former Chairman, Hansen Information Technologies, sold to Infor Global in 2007.

Explains Hansen, “By combining the latest technologies into our 4-in-1 Multi-Sensor Probe, offered as an exclusive service, utilities can quantify each leak’s size, location, and estimated GPM [LPS], in minutes.”

Electro Scan’s technology assesses both pressurized and gravity water mains while pipes remain in service.

The Company’s patent pending multi-sensor probe, includes:

1.   Low Voltage Conductivity Sensor – Measures individual leaks and total defect flows utilizing a low voltage conductivity tri-electrode array to find leaking cracks, pinholes, defective joints, bad service connections, and other openings to ground.

2.   High Definition Camera – Assists operators in navigating through water mains and documents leak locations found by low voltage conductivity sensor using a standard 1920×1080 high definition camera recording at 30 frames per second (fps).

3.   Pressure Sensor – Provides location-specific water pressure to assist in calculating defect flow rates.

4.   Acoustic Sensor – Records sound vibrations and provides benchmark of legacy results that can be readily compared to low voltage conductivity results.

“The Electro Scan 4-in-1 water probe was designed to find leaks not previously found by legacy methods,” states Mark Grabowski, General Manager, Electro Scan. “If a pipe leaks electricity, it leaks water.  Now we can provide a reliable, repeatable, and measurable solution for the water industry, based on our proven technology already being deployed in the wastewater collection industry.”

Pipe materials best suited for low voltage conductivity surveys, include: Asbestos Cement, Cement-Mortar Lined and Coated Steel Pipe, Cured In-Place Pipe, Fiberglass Reinforced Pipe, High-Density Polyethylene Pipe, Prestressed Concrete Cylinder Pipe, Polyethylene Pipe, Polyvinyl Chloride, and Reinforced Concrete Pipe.

Using a neutrally buoyant fiber optic cable, Company can evaluate up to 2,000ft (610m) of water main from a single point of entry, accessed through fire hydrants, air valves, flow meters, gate valves, and pressure fittings.

“In the past, acoustic sensors may have suggested locations of general anomalies,” said Carissa Boudwin, Director of Marketing, Electro Scan.

Continues Boudwin, “But, false-positive readings, poor data repeatability, reliance on third party data interpretation, ambient noise from road traffic, water table heights, pipe diameter, and the inability to assess PVC, PE, and HDPE pipes, has limited its usefulness to find non-revenue water losses and optimize CAPEX plans.”

Electro Scan’s 16-city roadshow, includes:

Sept 9-10

  IKT Praxistage „Neubau, Sanierung und Reparatur“ Gelsenkirchen, GERMANY

Sept 13-15

  SAP for Utilities, North American Conference, Huntington Beach, CA

Sept 14

  Water JAM, Virginia Beach, VA

Sept 22-23

  Water Innovation Summit, Claremont Hotel, Berkeley, CA

Sept 23-25

  Iowa League of Cities, Cedar Rapids, IA

Sept 26-30

  WEFTEC, McCormick Place, Booth #2804, Chicago, IL

Oct 11-14

  AMWA Executive Management Conference, Hilton DeSoto Hotel, Savannah, GA

Oct 13-16

  AWWA Water Infrastructure Conference, Bethesda, MD

Oct 20

  UKSTT Road Show, Holiday Inn, Bristol, England

Oct 22

  Rocky Mountain Water Environment Association, Vail, CO

Oct 26-29

  AWWA Calif-Nevada Annual Conference, Tropicana Hotel, Las Vegas, NV

Nov 6

  American Leak Detection Annual Meeting, Palmer House, Chicago, IL

Nov 11-13

  California Water Association, Monterey Plaza Hotel, Monterey, CA

Nov 17-19

  Trenchless Technology Roadshow, Richmond, BC, CANADA

Dec 4

  Hawaii Water Environment Association, Ala Moana Hotel, Honolulu, HI

Dec 8-9

  North American Water Loss Conference, Georgia Convention Center, Atlanta, GA

Electro Scan has been named Best CleanTech Company (The New Economy), Best Innovative Technology (Water Environment Federation), Innovative Product Award (North American Society for Trenchless Technology) and Best Project (UK Society of Trenchless Technology).

While equipment is not available for purchase, the new technology is available as a professional service offered directly by the Company.

About Electro Scan
The privately-held Company designs advanced instrumentation, mobile, and cloud computing applications that automatically locates, measures, and reports defects in water, sewer, and gas pipelines.

Contacts

Carissa Boudwin, +1 916 779 0660, carissa@electroscan.com

San Francisco Adds Electro Scan Mobile Van for Advanced Pipe Condition Assessment

New Technology Helps Pinpoint Leaks and Increase Reuse of Reclaimed Wastewater

SACRAMENTO, Calif.– (BUSINESS WIRE) — Electro Scan Inc. announced today that the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has placed an order for a Sewer Leak Detection Van to help locate and measure defects that allow infiltration into its wastewater collection system.

Electro Scan New Customer: San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) is a leader in using green technologies to manage its water resources, waste recovery, and water reuse; however, it faces the same challenge as other global communities where coastal salt water seeps into its sewers reducing the ability to fully utilize reclaimed wastewater.

“Our industry’s long term goal is to achieve 100% reuse of our potable water,” states Lewis Harrison, Manager, Wastewater Enterprise, Collection System Division, SFPUC. “But, with global warming, persistent drought, and an already high water table south of Market Street, it is important that we identify and patch unwanted openings into our combined sewer system to minimize salt water intrusion.”

“With Electro Scan, we will have a new technology to find leaks and help reduce salt water entering our system so we can increase the beneficial reuse of our reclaimed wastewater,” explained Harrison.

Electro Scan Services on the Streets of San Francisco

Using its patent pending technology, Electro Scan automatically measures the variation of electrical current that flows through cracks and defects in pipes without relying on closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, acoustic sensors, or third party data interpretation.

Results are immediately available in the Company’s award-winning Critical Sewers® cloud application.

“This specialized van identifies defects that are not typically seen by operators using camera based systems,” commented Douglas J. Lipps, P.E., Mechanical Engineer, Engineering Division, SFPUC.

“More importantly, it provides an estimated rate of infiltration in gallons per minute, for each defect and entire pipe, to help prioritize our repairs,” states Lipps.

Electro Scan’s low voltage technology is also the leading method to certify and accept rehabilitation, relining, and repairs for water and sewer pipes which previously relied on Acoustic or CCTV inspection techniques.

“I am delighted to support the resource recovery initiatives at SFPUC and help California achieve its goal for recycled water use,” states Chuck Hansen, Chairman and CEO, Electro Scan.

“New technologies, like Electro Scan, not only find problems that were previously undetected, but often change the way we prioritize rehabilitation and deliver needed benefits, sooner,” explains Hansen.

Each non-rainy day an average of 80 million gallons of wastewater is collected and transported to one of SFPUC’s two treatment plants.

Electro Scan Services on the Streets of San Francisco

When it rains, SFPUC’s wastewater system can collect and treat up to 575 million gallons a day (MGD) through a network of 1,000 miles of pipe.

High salinity or shock loads of sodium chloride adversely affect organic removal at the treatment plant, lowering the efficiency of the treatment process and lowering reusable water levels.

Additionally, high levels of unwanted water in a collection system means higher treatment and transportation costs due to greater pumping and electricity costs, contributing to higher C0₂ emissions.

The Company’s selection is an integral part of SFPUC’s ongoing commitment to pursue cleaner, greener, and smarter strategies to help manage its business.

Earlier this year, Electro Scan was awarded Best Project by the United Kingdom Society for Trenchless Technology. Previous awards include Best CleanTech Company (The New Economy Magazine), Best Technology Innovation (Water Environment Federation), and Best New Product (North American Society of Trenchless Technology).

Available as either a standalone mobile van or added to an existing CCTV truck, Electro Scan is able to assess pipes at the rate of ~50 feet per minute and estimate defect flows in gallons per minute, operated in accordance with ASTM F2550-13.

In March 2015 the Company announced its entry into the water leak detection market to locate and quantify water losses not detected by legacy inspection methods.

About Electro Scan

Electro Scan develops proprietary pipe condition assessment instrumentation and cloud applications that automatically locates, measures, and reports defects in sewer, water, and gas pipelines, not typically found by legacy methods.

Contacts

Electro Scan Inc.
 Carissa Boudwin, +1 916-779-0660 
info@electroscan.com

Cognitive-based ‘Internet of Things’ Solution to Link Enterprise ERPs with Breakthrough Condition Assessment Data

SACRAMENTO, Calif.–June 8, 2015–Electro Scan Inc., a leading provider of leak detection instrumentation and cloud applications for the water, sewer, and gas pipeline industries, today announced a Strategic Alliance with App Orchid Inc., makers of advanced cognitive-based solutions that capture, calibrate, and disseminate collective workforce wisdom across enterprises that can be presented in adaptive, intuitive, gamified applications.

Building a Water & Wastewater Wisdom Managment System

Just like Google has evolved from being a keyword search engine to allowing users to ask simple yet powerful questions, App Orchid allows users across a business enterprise to ask questions and get answers about their operations and critical assets.

Electro Scan’s partnership with App Orchid was announced in conjunction with the AWWA Annual Conference & Exposition, Uniting the World of Water, and the launch of Electro Scan’s next generation low-voltage water leak detection and CriticalH₂O cloud application.

The alliance combines the next generation provider of leak detection solutions for water, sewer, and gas pipelines with the developer of the industry’s first enterprise-wide wisdom management system, capable of amalgamating people, physical assets, and processes to create an industry-specific ontology of ‘wisdom nuggets’ spanning the Internet of Things (IoT).

Many water utilities continue to experience water losses of 20-30% due to leaking infrastructure, while sewer utilities can typically add 20-30% of flow during wet weather events that may cause sewer overflows, flooding, and back-ups. In response, Electro Scan and App Orchid can create innovative strategies by analyzing big data and social media to provide deep insight into a utility’s existing business.

“Enterprise data is no longer confined to corporate databases,” said Chuck Hansen, water industry entrepreneur and Chairman of Electro Scan Inc. “My experience with over a thousand water & sewer agencies tells me that 80% of knowledge is trapped in people’s minds – sometimes written down in maintenance logs, emails, customer service calls, field inspections, presentations, social media, and other captive sources.”

“The identification of critical resources can no longer rely on rigid hyper-optimized data models,” explained Krishna Kumar, CEO and founder of App Orchid Inc. “Grass root tribal knowledge must be combined with traditional systems and ERP solutions using next generation heuristic tools to assess and address critical business resources. Big Data models and their analytics are only as strong as their weakest data source. That’s why subject matter experts, like Chuck Hansen, and more accurate diagnostic tools, like Electro Scan, are an integral part of Smart Cities.”

Prior to founding Electro Scan, Chuck Hansen was founder, Chairman and CEO of Hansen Information Technologies, a leading provider of asset management solutions for water and sewer utilities acquired by Infor Global in 2007.

Prior to founding App Orchid, Krishna Kumar was founder, CEO and CTO of Space-Time Insight, a leading provider of geospatial situational intelligence applications. His current venture, App Orchid, is gaining momentum. At a recent SAP Annual Sapphire conference App Orchid was selected as “SAP HANA Innovation Awards 2015” winner.

About Electro Scan
Electro Scan develops proprietary leak detection instrumentation and cloud applications that automatically locate, measure, and report defect flows in sewer, water, and gas pipelines, not typically found by acoustic or visual methods.

Contacts

Electro Scan Inc.
Carissa Boudwin, +1 916-779-0660
info@electroscan.com

or

Electro Scan (UK) Limited, +44 20 7692 8729
Elektro Scan GmbH, +49 69 6655 4132
Electro Scan Australia Pty Ltd, +61 3 8609 1246

The United Kingdom Society for Trenchless Technologies Selects Electro Scan Project That Found Defects Missed By CCTV Inspections

Birmingham, England, UK — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Electro Scan (UK) Limited has won the 2015 Best Project Award as announced by the United Kingdom Society for Trenchless Technologies (UKSTT), completed in partnership with CPS Environmental on behalf of Severn Trent Water Plc.

Chuck Hansen at UKSTT Annual Dinner and Awards Ceremoney, Birminham, England

The project was the largest and most comprehensive comparison of the Electro Scan technology and Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) inspections using the WRc Manual of Sewer Condition Classifications.

Electro Scan represents a next generation solution that detects leaks in sewer and water pipes by automatically measuring the change in electrical current able to pass through the wall of a pipe. No operator coding or third party interpretation is required.

The award was presented at the UKSTT Annual Dinner and Awards Ceremony held April 24, 2015 in Birmingham, England.

“I am proud that our UK company was selected for this prestigious award,” states Mark Grabowski, General Manager of US-based Electro Scan Inc.

Working under the guidance of Severn Trent’s in-house engineers and project managers, the project was conducted in an English village that had experienced persistent and unexplained sewer flows.

CCTV had been used on multiple occasions so a key objective of the project was to determine if Electro Scan could identify and measure defects not found by previous visual observations.

“Debris, surcharged pipes, and fats, oils and grease (FOG) make it difficult, if not impossible, to use CCTV to accurately determine defects or their severity,” states Grabowski.  “By using our [Electro Scan] low voltage leak detection technology we allow users to automatically locate and estimate defect flows.”

Result: Electro Scan’s international patent-pending technology not only identified a number of potential sources of infiltration, not seen by previous CCTV inspections, but provided estimated defect flows for each sewer main and each identified defect.

While Electro Scan completed 100% of the survey area, by comparison CCTV completed only 75% of the same area, due to numerous survey abandonments.

Leakage rates were estimated in litres per second (l/s) with results available within minutes from the Company’s Amazon Web Services (AWS) Critical Sewers® cloud application.

“Electro Scan, it’s the future,” comments Neil Walton, Managing Director of CPS Environmental, based in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, UK.

The UKSTT’s Best Project Award (Small Scheme Category) is based on technical or professional excellence as well as demonstrated innovation and protection of the environment.

Other UK awards for Electro Scan have included The New Economy Magazine Award for Best CleanTech Water & Sewer Company (2014) and the South West Water PURE Award (2013).

Major US awards for Electro Scan include Best Innovative Technology Award, Water Environment Federation (2013) and Best Innovative Product Award, North American Society of Trenchless Technologies (2013).

“The cost of incorrectly diagnosing pipe conditions using legacy inspection techniques can negatively impact a water utility’s CAPEX, OPEX, and TOTEX,” says Chuck Hansen, Managing Director, Electro Scan (UK) Ltd.

“Undetected defects can often result in the wrong repair or the acceptance of a poorly installed trenchless project,” continues Hansen. “In some cases, a spot repair may fix one leak, but create two larger ones at both ends of the repair. In other cases, relined pipes with winkles, overheating marks, tears, or poor service reconnections may pass visual inspection, but also may ‘pass’ water [leak], too.”

“Electro Scan does not replace CCTV,” states Grabowski. “But, water utilities are recommended to first Electro Scan their pipes; then, schedule CCTV to specifically capture pipe conditions at major defect locations identified by Electro Scan.”

Electro Scan’s ability to find and measure defect flows in relined pipes is recommended to certify trenchless projects.

About Electro Scan
The Company develops and markets leak detection instrumentation, including cloud computing applications that automatically locate, measure, and report defect flows in pre- and post-rehabilitated sewer and water pipes. Offices are located in London, Frankfurt, Toronto, and Melbourne, Australia, with corporate offices in Sacramento, California. The Company is ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO OHSAS 18001 certified.

Contact
Carissa Boudwin, +1.916.779.0660, 
carissa@electroscan.com

Announcing Next Generation Technology to Accurately Locate and Measure Leaks in Water Distribution & Transmission Systems

SACRAMENTO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Electro Scan Inc., a global leader in the leak detection and pipe certification market, today announced that it has joined The Global Water Council. Based in Milwaukee, Wis., The Global Water Council is an organization dedicated to transforming the Great Lakes and Upper Mississippi River region into an international hub for water innovation.

“Coinciding with Electro Scan’s expansion into the potable water leak detection market, we look forward to making a valuable contribution to the Council and influencing water thought leaders,” stated Mark Grabowski, Vice President and General Manager, Electro Scan Inc.

Electro Scan for Water Leak Detection

The Council is comprised of more than 150 water technology companies and includes the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Science (the first of its kind), and Institute for Water Business, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

More than 100 academic scientists and researchers addressing water challenges, including supply, treatment, distribution, and reuse, are members of the Council.

“Our prolonged drought conditions in California has prompted us to seek out innovative partnerships as we begin rollout of our next generation leak detection technology,” stated Chuck Hansen, Chairman, Electro Scan. “To put things in perspective, an 8% water loss from leakage is equivalent to losing a one month supply of water, with most utilities experiencing from 10% to 30% in water losses [apparent and real losses] each year.”

Last month, Electro Scan chose World Water Day (Sunday, March 22) to announce its entry in the water leak detection market by posting a YouTube video explaining the technology.

Releasing a focused array of low-voltage high-frequency electrical current (40 milliamps) inside a water pipe, Electro Scan’s international patent-pending technology records data such as distance, water pressure, total current, and defect measurements every 14 milliseconds.

Often recording between 14,000 to 20,000 data points for each 300ft (100m) length of pipe, data is automatically stored on a mobile field device and transmitted to the company’s Critical H2O cloud application with detailed reports available in minutes.

Any water leak at a pipe joint, service connection, pinhole or crack in a pipe wall is automatically identified without operator interpretation or third-party data analysis.

“Geophysics tells us that if a pipe leaks water it will also leak electric current,” states Hansen. “For a constant applied voltage, the larger the opening, the greater the amount of electric current that will flow through an opening. Applied to water leaks, the larger the hole, the greater the flow, so we can both locate and estimate (gallons per minute or liters per second) of defect flow for any size of leak.”

Acoustic inspection equipment, such as noise loggers, listening devices, and leak noise correlators, have been traditionally used to find general locations of pipe anomalies; however, ambient noise from road traffic, water table heights, pipe material, pipe diameter, leak size, experience of the operator, recurring false-positive readings, lack of repeatability, requirement for third party data interpretation, and lengthy end-user reporting requirements limits the use of acoustic and other non-acoustic techniques to accurately locate and measure water leaks.

Hansen heard of the technology during his role as Chairman and Founder of Hansen Information Technologies, a leading water & sewer asset management application developer sold to Infor Global in 2007.

Well known in the State of California and municipal IT market, Hansen’s prior company was responsible for implementing one of the state’s most successful large-scale IT projects deploying the Integrated Maintenance Management System (IMMS) for Caltrans, managing all work orders for the California highway system. In 2002, the project was named Computerworld Honors Program Laureate.

In 2011, Hansen’s Sacramento-based investment fund acquired the intellectual property for Electro Scan, taking the next year to retool the solution and add an Amazon Web Service cloud application to support local water companies anytime and anywhere around the globe.

In 2013, Electro Scan was named Best CleanTech Company for Water & Wastewater (The New Economy magazine), Best Innovative Technology (Water Environment Federation), Joseph L. Abbott, Jr. Innovative Product Award (North American Society for Trenchless Technologies), PURE Award for Innovation (South West Water, UK), and Globie Award for Most Innovative New CleanTech Product (Sierra Nevada Innovation Challenge).

“Along with our membership in the Council comes the opportunity to expand our network of potential partners,” said Hansen. “By cultivating strong ties with water industry leaders, Electro Scan will help utilities move beyond legacy inspection methods.”

“The Electro Scan Council membership reflects our commitment to improving the systematic condition assessment of critical water infrastructure,” said Grabowski. “And helps water companies prioritize their mains for repair or replacement, and also provide a tool to assess post-rehabilitation effectiveness.”

About Electro Scan
Founded in 2011, the Company designs, develops, and markets advanced leak detection instrumentation, including cloud computing applications that automatically locate, measure, and report defect flows in pre- and post-rehabilitated sewer and water pipes. Offices are located in London, Frankfurt, Toronto, and Melbourne, Australia, with corporate offices in Sacramento, California. The Company is ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO OHSAS 18001 certified.

Contact
Electro Scan
Carissa Boudwin, +1 916-779-0660
info@electroscan.com

Demonstrates Unwavering Commitment to Continuous Process Improvement to Assess Sewer, Water, and Gas Pipelines and Certify Repaired, Relined, and Rehabilitated Pipes

Sacramento, CA — Electro Scan Inc. a global leader in leak detection & pipeline certification, today announced that it has received ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 certification for its patent-pending leak detection instrumentation and related Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) cloud application.

ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 Certification

Electro Scan becomes the first and only vendor to have received ISO certification in compliance with ASTM F2550-13, Standard Practice for Locating Leaks By Measuring the Variation of Electric Current Flow Through the Pipe Wall.

Certification to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards requires an accredited third party auditing organization to thoroughly review the Company’s internal quality management system processes and environmental management system, respectively, to ensure that they are capable of consistently delivering a service that meets customers’ needs and expectations.

“I’m very happy to be able to congratulate our staff on achieving ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification,” commented Chuck Hansen, Chairman, Electro Scan Inc.  “As our customers operate in highly regulated industries, requiring their own compliance to advanced standards, it is only fitting that we be a certified international technology supplier that demonstrates our unwavering commitment to quality.”

Janine Mullinix, Electro Scan’s Vice President, Administration, led the company-wide effort working with an accredited Australian-based international firm that is also independently accredited by JAS-ANZ (Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand).

“As we start-up Electro Scan services in the UK and Germany through Electro Scan (UK) Limited and Elektro Scan GmbH, our ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications puts us on equal footing with other service providers,” states Mark Grabowksi, Electro Scan’s Vice President, Operations. “We look forward to a full schedule of pre- and post-CIPP certification of EU sewer and water pipes in 2015.”

ISO 14001 sets out the criteria for an effective Environmental Management System (EMS) and is an integral part of the European Union‘s Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS).

About Electro Scan
Founded in 2011, the Company designs, develops, markets, and sells advanced leak detection instrumentation, including mobile and cloud computing applications, that automatically locates, measures, and reports defect flows in pre- and post-rehabilitated pipes. Offices are located in London, Frankfurt, Toronto, and Melbourne (Australia) with corporate offices in Sacramento, California.

Contact:
Carissa Boudwin, +1 916 779 0660
info@electroscan.com