To proactively manage and monitor the sewer networks throughout Qatar, the Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’’s Drainage Networks Operations & Maintenance (DN O&M) Department has established a new system entitled “Real Time Monitoring Project”.

This innovative project, which commenced on March 2016, will set up monitoring systems in both the Foul and Surface Ground Water Networks.

The project, due to be complete by Q1, 2019,  will enable DNO&M staff to observe the performance of the Foul Sewer and Surface Ground Water Networks throughout Qatar, in addition to providing all accurate real time information.

Subsequently, this will help proactively act to sustain the services being provided in a way that would reduce flooding incidents and customer complaints, protect our pipeline assets from the build-up of hydrogen sulphide, and finally contribute to improvements in the quality of sewage pumped to the treatment plant to further protect these assets and the quality of recycled water.

This project consists of the installation and maintenance of 290 flow meters, 400 depth monitors, 90  hydrogen sulphide monitors, 90 saline monitors, 4 rain gauges and 100 cameras; all being placed at critical parts of the network. These ‘eyes’ on the network will, in combination with the existing SCADA system, provide real time monitoring and early warning alarms, to assist in the building of greatly enhanced network performance intelligence to engineers, prevent defects and service interruptions.

Worth to be mentioned that reporting and viewing of data will be accessible to multiple users through desk top and mobile devices such as iPads.

In addition, Ashghal and DNO&M are utilising the Innovyze ICM Live software to utilise this real time input data to establish, for the first time in Qatar, operational planning and support hydraulic models of its networks to provide enhanced support to engineers to manage and resolve incidents.

Advantages for the Surface Ground Water Network:
‘Real Time Monitoring’ is an important ‘project’ that will have significant benefits on the assets of Surface Ground Water Networks.  I would assist in understanding the capacity and performance of the Surface Ground Water Network, impacted by ground water infiltration, dewatering discharges into the network from construction sites and seasonal storms. 

In addition, the ability to monitor the networks in the vicinity of key underpasses will give yet further visibility and early warnings of surcharge levels.  Senior Drainage Engineer Hugo Martins said, “The real time information will support our management of rainy season incidents by alarming us as sewer water levels rise during incidents and allow us to prioritise where to target our resources”.

Benefits on the Foul Network:
The Foul Network is prone to blockages and occasional collapses causing the consequential backing up of the sewer network and flooding.  The introduction of these new monitors will give engineers early warning alarms of level increases in the network from the normal patterns. This will allow the engineers to carry out early investigations and intervene where problems are identified to avoid flooding incidents, backups and collapses before they become problematic to ‘Ashghal’ customers.