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AFC SEMPER® RPM Used to Study New Fairfield, California Transmission Line

Posted by AMERICAN News - |
A city of Fairfield Water Division employee with the AFC SEMPER RPM. The city found the units are a great tool for monitoring and gathering data from its distribution system.

In March 2021, the city of Fairfield, California’s Water Division was tasked with commissioning a new 36-inch Cross Town Transmission Line (CTTL). The CTTL will enhance the already robust distribution system and better serve the water needs of the Water Division’s 33,000 customers. This new CTTL, however, will change the dynamics of the city’s current distribution system. To better understand how the new CTTL would affect operations, the AMERICAN Flow Control SEMPER® Remote Pressure Monitor (RPM) was deployed to strategic points throughout the system.

“The AFC SEMPER® RPM allowed distribution operators to run different tests when putting the new CTTL online to see how the rest of the distribution system responded and gather pertinent data,” said city of Fairfield Water Maintenance Supervisor Eddie Franke. “It helped operators pinpoint valves that were closed or not functioning properly.”

“The city chose the AFC SEMPER RPM because it’s proven, reliable equipment that’s easy to use in the field and in the office.”
– City of Fairfield Water Maintenance Supervisor Eddie Franke

The city of Fairfield purchased five AFC SEMPER RPMs. After using the units for initial testing of the new CTTL, operators continue to use the units to monitor and gather data from the distribution system, which includes two treatment plants and more than 385 miles of pipe. “The city chose the AFC SEMPER RPM because it’s proven, reliable equipment that’s easy to use in the field and in the office,” Franke said. “Our experience with the software has been great as well. It’s very user friendly and allows the user to see how the system is functioning in a certain time frame and offers many different options to view the data obtained.

“Everyone at AMERICAN, and Javor [Pobric] in particular, has been great to work with as well. Every question I’ve asked has been answered.”

Leveraging the AFC SEMPER RPM’s versatility, the city of Fairfield deployed the units to address pressure issues in a large commercial/industrial area. “This location has a pressure reducing valve in place, and operators were witnessing pressure reductions and then pressure spikes,” Franke said. “We deployed the AFC SEMPER RPM for a 24-hour period to determine how long the pressure reducing valve was opening. These units allowed operators to track the operation of the valve. Distribution operators continue to research this area of the system to determine if changes need to be made. The AFC SEMPER RPM has proven to be a great tool for gathering system data.”

Franke said he’s seeing more and more water utilities use pressure monitoring technology to proactively make their systems more efficient. “We wanted a better way to gather information and monitor water pressure over time in our system,” he said. “We no longer have to station people in particular locations to see what’s happening, which saves time and money. You set the units up and leave them, and data is transmitted to the software platform.”

The AFC SEMPER RPM is a wireless, battery-powered, pressure recorder that can be installed on any hydrant or system asset. It was introduced last year in partnership with Trimble Water. By measuring pressure, the AFC SEMPER RPM helps water utilities identify leaks, reduce non-revenue water, analyze transients and monitor and optimize system supply and operations. An important capability of the AFC SEMPER RPM is its “lift and shift” mobility, which allows the utility to move several of the units inside a given system to help identify problem areas. To learn more, visit, https://american-usa.com/products/valves-and-hydrants/semper/.