Applications of Ultrasonic & Mass Flow Meters in the Water and Wastewater Treatment Industry

Overview

The water and wastewater management industry is a sector focused on the collection, treatment, and distribution of water, as well as the proper disposal or treatment of wastewater. This industry plays a crucial role in ensuring access to clean and safe water for various purposes, such as drinking, industrial processes, agriculture, and recreational activities. Additionally, it involves the management of wastewater generated from domestic, industrial, and commercial sources, aiming to minimize environmental impact and protect public health.

Depending on specific features and functions, GAO Tek’s Ultrasonic & Mass Flow Meters are sometimes referred to as ultrasonic meters, mass flow meters, sonic gauges, density sensors, velocity indicators, fluidic gauges, sound wave flowmeters, volume detectors, wave speed meters, material density gauges, ultrasonic velocity sensors, substance flow indicators, acoustic mass meters, liquid density detectors, gas velocity gauges, sonic fluid meters, wave frequency sensors, particle flow indicators, ultrasonic density gauges, material velocity detectors, mass wave meters, substance speed gauges, acoustic volume sensors, density flow detectors, velocity wave meters, fluidic speed indicators, sound wave volume gauges, liquid mass sensors, and gas flow detectors.

Furthermore, GAO Tek’s ultrasonic & mass flow meters are further grouped into:

Handheld, High Precision, Rugged, Data Logging, Probes, and Liquid

GAO Tek’s Ultrasonic & Mass Flow Meters have the following applications in the water and wastewater treatment management industry:

Raw Water Intake Measurement: Accurately measuring untreated water entering the treatment plant is crucial for proper chemical dosing and efficient treatment processes. Ultrasonic and mass flow meters provide reliable measurement regardless of water quality or suspended solids.

Chemical Dosing Control: GAO’s meters ensure accurate measurement of treatment chemicals like chlorine, coagulants, and flocculants, optimizing treatment efficiency and minimizing waste.

Treated Water Flow Monitoring: Monitoring treated water flow leaving the plant allows for proper distribution management and leak detection. Ultrasonic and mass flow meters offer non-invasive measurement, eliminating the need for pipe cutting and installation disruptions.

Wastewater Influent Measurement: Measuring incoming wastewater allows treatment plants to size their processes appropriately and optimize treatment effectiveness. GAO’s mass flow meters can handle the challenging characteristics of wastewater, including variable flow rates and entrained solids.

Biosolids Management: GAO’s ultrasonic and mass flow meters play a vital role in managing biosolids, the solid waste product of wastewater treatment. They accurately measure biosolids for proper handling, transportation, and disposal.

Sludge Thickening and Dewatering: These meters ensure efficient thickening and dewatering of sludge, a key step in wastewater treatment that reduces volume and simplifies disposal. They can handle the dense and abrasive nature of sludge slurries.

More information on ultrasonic & mass flow meters and their applications in other industries can be found on

Ultrasonic & Mass Flow Meters

This category page lists related products and

Structural

Systems in the Water and Wastewater Treatment Industry utilizing Ultrasonic & Mass Flow Meters

Here are some popular systems in the water and wastewater treatment industry using ultrasonic & mass flow meters:

SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) Systems:

SCADA systems utilize flow meter data to monitor and control treatment processes in real time. This allows for adjustments to optimize chemical dosing, manage flow rates, and ensure efficient operation.

Process Control Systems:

These systems rely on flow meter data to automate treatment processes based on pre-defined parameters. This ensures consistent treatment quality and reduces the need for manual intervention.

Asset Management Software:

Flow meter data helps track equipment performance and identify potential maintenance needs. This software can predict maintenance requirements and optimize scheduling to minimize downtime.

Leak Detection Software:

Advanced software can analyze flow meter data to detect unusual patterns that might indicate leaks in the distribution system. Early leak detection allows for prompt repairs, minimizing water loss and infrastructure damage.

Billing and Customer Management Systems:

For water utilities, flow meter data forms the basis for accurate customer billing based on water usage.

Environmental Reporting Software:

Treatment plants use flow meter data to track water and wastewater volumes, chemical usage, and other parameters required for environmental reporting and regulatory compliance.

Complying with Government Regulations

GAO Tek’s Ultrasonic & Mass Flow Meters comply or help our customers comply with U.S. government regulations such as:

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

Clean Water Act (CWA)

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR)

Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards (ELGs)

American Water Works Association (AWWA) Standards (voluntary but widely adopted)

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Guidance Documents

GAO Tek’s Ultrasonic & Mass Flow Meters comply or help our clients comply with Canadian regulations such as:

Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA)

Fisheries Act

Navigation Protection Act

Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality

Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations

Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) Water Quality Guidelines

National Standard of Canada (NSC) Standards (voluntary but widely adopted)

Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Standards

Case Studies of Ultrasonic & Mass Flow Meters in the Water and Wastewater Treatment Industry

Ultrasonic & mass flow meters are sometimes called ultrasonic meters, mass flow meters, sonic gauges, density sensors, velocity indicators, fluidic gauges, sound wave flowmeters, volume detectors, wave speed meters, material density gauges, ultrasonic velocity sensors, substance flow indicators, acoustic mass meters, liquid density detectors, gas velocity gauges, sonic fluid meters, wave frequency sensors, particle flow indicators, ultrasonic density gauges, material velocity detectors, mass wave meters, substance speed gauges, acoustic volume sensors, density flow detectors, velocity wave meters, fluidic speed indicators, sound wave volume gauges, liquid mass sensors, and gas flow detectors.

Here are some practical examples of using ultrasonic & mass flow meters in the water and wastewater treatment industry:

In the Northeast region of the US, Maine Water Utility Company: Struggling with inconsistent chlorine dosing due to aging mechanical meters, they implemented ultrasonic flow meters. This ensured accurate measurement of chlorination chemicals, resulting in improved disinfection efficiency and reduced chlorine waste.

New York City Wastewater Treatment Plant: Facing challenges with monitoring biosolids for proper disposal, the plant adopted mass flow meters. These meters provided precise readings of biosolids volume, allowing for optimized transportation and disposal processes.

Vermont Paper Mill: To comply with stricter EPA regulations on wastewater effluent, the mill installed ultrasonic flow meters to monitor industrial wastewater discharge. The real-time flow data enabled them to regulate water usage and minimize environmental impact.

In the Midwest region of the US, Great Lakes Chemical Company (Michigan): Experiencing difficulties with accurate chemical dosing for water treatment, the company integrated mass flow meters. This ensured precise measurement of various treatment chemicals, leading to optimized water quality and reduced chemical costs.

Chicago Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (Illinois): Aimed at improving leak detection in their vast distribution network, the district deployed advanced leak detection software that analyzed data from ultrasonic flow meters. This allowed for early identification and repair of leaks, minimizing water loss and infrastructure damage.

Ohio River Valley Water Authority: To enhance automation and optimize treatment processes, the authority implemented process control systems that relied on data from ultrasonic flow meters. This enabled real-time adjustments to flow rates and chemical dosing, leading to consistent treated water quality.

In the West region of the US, California Desalination Plant: Looking to improve efficiency in their seawater desalination process, the plant adopted ultrasonic flow meters for precise measurement of raw water intake. This ensured optimal water intake for desalination while minimizing energy consumption.

Arizona Water Utility: To address concerns about aging infrastructure and potential leaks, the utility implemented a SCADA system utilizing data from mass flow meters. This allowed for centralized monitoring of water flow throughout the distribution network, facilitating prompt leak detection and repair.

Nevada Mining Operation: Facing regulations on wastewater discharge from mining activities, the mine integrated mass flow meters to monitor effluent volume and characteristics. The accurate flow data enabled them to comply with environmental regulations and minimize environmental impact.

In the southern region of the US, Texas Water Treatment Facility: Encountering issues with inaccurate flow measurement due to fluctuating water pressure, the facility switched to ultrasonic flow meters. These meters provided reliable flow data regardless of pressure variations, ensuring efficient chemical dosing and treatment processes.

Florida Public Utility: Aimed at streamlining billing practices for water usage, the utility adopted a new customer management system that integrated data from ultrasonic flow meters. This enabled accurate customer billing based on actual water consumption.

Louisiana Industrial Plant: To optimize industrial wastewater treatment and meet environmental discharge requirements, the plant installed mass flow meters. The precise measurement of wastewater volume and composition allowed for efficient treatment and minimized environmental impact.

In Canada, Toronto Wastewater Treatment Plant (Ontario): Facing challenges with managing biosolids volume for disposal, the plant adopted ultrasonic flow meters. These meters ensured accurate measurement of biosolids for proper handling and transportation, complying with Canadian regulations.

Montreal Water Utility (Quebec): In effort to improve leak detection efficiency, the utility implemented a SCADA system that relied on data from mass flow meters. This allowed for centralized monitoring and real-time analysis of water flow patterns, facilitating early identification of leaks.

British Columbia Pulp Mill (British Columbia): To comply with strict CEPA regulations on effluent quality, the mill installed ultrasonic flow meters to monitor industrial process water usage. The real-time flow data enabled them to regulate water consumption and minimize wastewater discharge.

GAO RFID Inc. RFID Hardware, a sister company of GAO Tek Inc., is ranked as one of the top 10 RFID suppliers in the world. Its RFID, BLE, and IoT products have also been widely used in the water and wastewater treatment industry. Articles about related industries are given below:

Cleaning and Maintenance Industries

Healthcare

Use of Ultrasonic & mass flow meters with Leading Software and Cloud Services in the Water and Wastewater Treatment Industry

GAO Tek has used or has facilitated its customers to use GAO’s ultrasonic & mass flow meters with some of the leading software and cloud services in their applications. Examples of such leading software and cloud services include:

GE Digital – SCADA Proficy

Honeywell – Experion Process Control System

Siemens – Simatic PCS 7

Schneider Electric – EcoStruxure SCADA

Rockwell Automation – FactoryTalk SCADA

Microsoft Azure IoT

Amazon Web Services (AWS) IoT Core

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) IoT Core

IBM Maximo Application Suite

ThingWorx Industrial IoT Platform

OSIsoft PI System

AVEVA Insight

HACH Water Treatment SCADA Systems

SUEZ Aquarion

Xylem VueLogic

GAO Tek’s ultrasonic & mass flow meters and their applications in other industries are listed on

Ultrasonic & Mass Flow Meters

Other related products can be found on this category page

Structural

Meeting Customers’ Demands

Large Choice of Products

In order to satisfy the diversified needs of their corporate customers, GAO Tek Inc. and its sister company GAO RFID Inc. together offer a wide choice of testing and measurement devices, network products, RFID, BLE, IoT, and drones.

Fast Delivery

To shorten the delivery to our customers, GAO has maintained a large stock of its products and is able to ship overnight within the continental U.S. and Canada from the nearest warehouse.

Local to Our Customers

We are located in both the U.S. and Canada. We travel to customers’ premises if necessary. Hence, we provide very strong local support to our customers in North America, particularly the U.S. and Canada.

Furthermore, we have built partnerships with some integrators, consulting firms, and other service providers in different cities, to strengthen our services. Here are some of the service providers in the water and wastewater treatment management industry we have worked with to serve our joint customers:

Honeywell Process Solutions

Emerson

Schneider Electric

Siemens

AVEVA

Inductive Automation

Rockwell Automation

Yokogawa Electric Corporation

Eramosa Engineering Inc.

SUEZ

Veolia

Brown and Caldwell

Hach Company

Xylem Inc.

Carollo Engineers

CH2M

CDM Smith

Aclara

Woodard & Curran

Atonix Digital

GAO has Many Customers in the Water and Wastewater Treatment Management Industry

The products from both GAO Tek Inc. and GAO RFID Inc. have been widely used in the water and wastewater management industry by many customers, including some leading companies. Here is more information on applications of GAO RFID Inc.’s products in the water and wastewater management treatment industry.  Articles about related industries are given below:

Cleaning and Maintenance Industries

Healthcare

Here are some of GAO’s customers in the water and wastewater treatment management industry: