O.H. Hinsdale Tsunami Wave Tank Leak Detection

American Leak Detection performed a structural inspection on the 300,000 gallon concrete Oregon State University Hinsdale Wave Research Tsunami Wave tank including two ramps. The tsunami wave basin is designed as a shared-use facility to understand the fundamental nature of tsunamis.

 

Our technician located multiple leaks on this massive wave tank numbering 15 in total of the two days he spent on the detection of this facility.

As part of George E. Brown Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation(NEES) program, the Tsunami Basin is designed as a

• Shared-use facility for next generation remote tsunami research

and is also be used by the broader community for

• Research on coastal processes
• Industrial collaboration
• Education and outreach

Water Scarcity and Cotton

Levi Strauss fears that due to climate change in the near future cotton could become too expensive or scarce, which would jeopardize the company’s very existence. In an attempt to quell this fear the company has begun a nonprofit program to teach farmers in India, Pakistan, Brazil and West and Central Africa in the latest irrigation/rain-water capture techniques.

They have also introduced a new jean that is smoothed with rocks but no water, and are also sewing in tags urging consumers to wash less and use cold water.

In 2005 nongovernmental as well as cotton industry organizations, and some giant retailers including Ikea, Gap and Adidas founded the international nonprofit ‘Better Cotton Initiative’ in order to promote water conservation, reduce pesticides use as well as child labor in the cotton industry. In 2009 Levi Strauss joined the initiative and has since given a combined $600,000 towards the initiative.

A program known as the Carbon Disclosure Program (CDP) has also recently added water security to its priorities, as nearly 40 percent of businesses have already reported that water problems had detrimentally impacted their business. The CDP is working to catalyze a global movement towards sustainable corporate water stewardship to safeguard water resources and address the global water crisis; one of the most significant challenges facing our global economy today.

 Credit: Carbon Disclosure Program

Resources: The New York Times online Sruthi Gottipati contributed reporting from Shelu, India.

CDP: https://www.cdproject.net/en-US/Programmes/Pages/cdp-water-disclosure.aspx  

Calculating Water Footprints:

In an attempt to conserve water

See how a variety of common products stack up when it comes to water use.

You would be amazed at the amount of water needed to manufacture certain items. For example, it takes around 20 gallons of water to manufacture a pint of beer. 132 gallons for one 2 liter of soda, and 500 gallons to grow, dye and process a pair of Levi's stonewashed jeans!

Much of this water is replenished through natural cycles, though many companies are beginning to calculate not just their 'carbon footprint,' but also their water footprint. The motivation behind this is self interest as water shortages loom worse every year. The United Nation's has projected that by 2025 two-thirds of the planet's population will be facing water shortages. Water managers in from several different states anticipate the shortages to begin this year in 2013 according to a general accounting report.

Representatives from such companies as Nike Inc, PepsiCo, Levi Strauss & Co and Starbucks will meet on a summit to calculate the shrinking corporate water footprints. Scientists, Companies' and Development agencies Will launch the Water Footprint Network In December, which is an international non-profit that helps corporations and governments measure and manage their footprint.

The term 'water footprint' was coined by a man by the name of Arjen Hoekstra 11 years ago. Hoekstra is a professor of water management at University of Twente in the Netherlands. Using data provided by the U.N.'s Food and Agricultural organization, Mr Hoekstra and other researchers were able to gauge the amount of water used in making various products from start to finish. They then took this data and compared it to people's consumption patterns in order to get a rough water footprint for both individuals and the nation as a whole.

Zuma Press

Water shortages have plagued Georgia, including a 2007 drought that lowered the Lake Allatoona reservoir. The state tried unsuccessfully to move its border north to claim part of the Tennessee River.

 

Back in 2004 a Coca-Cola bottling plant was shuttered after residents reported that the company was depleting and polluting local water supplies. Now more and more companies are beginning to calculate their water footprints, and are developing new ways to diminish them.

By 2050 there will be a projected 3 billion more people on the planet, according to Stuart Orr the manager of Freshwater Footprint Project for the World Wildlife Fund; and somehow we're going to have to have enough water to sustain that many more people.

Source: By

ALEXANDRA ALTER

Water Demand to Double By 2035

 

 

 

Water Demand to Double By 2035

 

 

Photograph by Bernhard Classen, Alamy

 

The global increase of coal power, along with the coal industry's

adoption of new technologies, will drive the largest share of water

consumption for energy use through 2035, according to the IEA.

Pictured: Germany's Jaenschwalde coal plant.

 

The amount of fresh water consumed for world energy production is on track to double within the next 25 years by 2035 according to projections by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

 

According to IEA's forecast the largest strain on future water resources from the energy system would be the soaring coal-fired electricity and the ramping up of biofuel production.

 

If today's policies remain in effect the IEA calculates that water consumed for energy production would increase from 66 billion cubic meters (bcm) today to 135 bcm annually by 2035.

 

That amount equals the amount of residential water use of every person in the US for three years! That amount would be equal to  four times the volume of the largest US reservoir, Hoover Dam's Lake Mead.

 

More than half that drain would be from coal-fired power plants, and 30 percent would go to biofuel production. The IEA estimates that oil and natural gas production would account for 10 percent of global energy demand in 2035!

 

National Geographic

 

Not only now, but in the future it is becoming more and more imperative to conserve water, our most precious resource. Every year droughts seem to be becoming more severe and pro-longed. Leak detection is becoming an industry unmatched in importance for our planet and it's resources.

 

Accredidation: National Geographic Daily News

  

 





SE Louisiana ALD office

SE Louisiana team members featured in The Baton Rouge Advocate

July 9th, 2013

Since 1990, the folks at American Leak Detection of Southeast Louisiana have been listening for problems.  They’re in the business of finding leaks in residences and businesses.  They also find leaks in swimming pools.
“The leak could be under the slab, outside or behind the wall,” owner Laura Kleinpeter said.
She and her husband Greg are owners of the local franchise which uses non-invasive, state-of-the-art technology to locate leaks.   The equipment helps the customer save money and avoid unnecessary property damage.
In fact, Kleinpeter said, the first sign of a problem could be a sudden hike in your water bill or a drop in the water level of your swimming pool.
Leak technicians do a lot of work with insurance companies locating water and sewer leaks.  The first thing many people do when water shows up in their house is call their insurance company.  The insurance company then contacts American Leak Detection to locate the problem and deals directly with the insurance company.  If a plumber is contacted first, the plumber will call the leak technician with the information on the job and go out to locate the problem.
Leak technicians don’t make the repairs- they’re not plumbers. But they can locate the leak so the plumber can make the repairs without guess work.  If the problem is found underneath the slab, a diagram will be drawn showing where the leak was located.
Many times a pool owner will notice an unusual amount of water being added to their pool daily or the need for more chemicals than usual.
“We tell people your pool should not lose more than 1/8”-1/4” water per day to evaporation,”  Kleinpeter said. “If it’s losing more than that, you could damage the structure of your pool which could cause expensive repairs down the road.”
The company serves Southeast Louisiana, from the Atchafalaya Basin to Mississippi. The Kleinpeters started their business after visiting a cousin in Houston who owns an American Leak Detection franchise.  They signed on and went through extensive training to open the local office.
“We felt like there was a need for this service in the Baton Rouge/ New Orleans area,” she said.
They knew there was a need, and rightly so.  Houses and pools settle.  Foundations crack.  Pipes flex and crack.  Even a lightening strike can damage plumbing and cause a leak, Kleinpeter said.
“Sometimes if there isn’t a crack in the slab the water is evaporating and going into the soil under the house and the homeowner may not know they have a leak until they get an extremely high water bill.,”  she said. “If the problem goes on for a while it can do damage to the slab. “
~Courtesy of https://AmericanLeakDetection.com
 

Water Conservation Techniques

The issue of water conservation is fast becoming an important one, as clean water is  becoming a scarce commodity in many parts of the globe. There are various ways of how our most precious resource is wasted such as leaking pipes, water flowing in toilets and leaky faucets. One of the biggest culprits for wasted water is due to old pipes that burst from rust, poor quality and insufficient corrosion protection. If you have experienced an increasing water bill that is always a sure sign that you have a leak. It is important to act immediately once you realize your water bill has increased.

There are various leak detection instruments that can be used to locate the source of a leak. There are certain areas that are more prone to leaks such as the area near your dishwasher, and under toilet tanks. Once a leak is detected it must then be fixed immediately to prevent massive damage. Electronic and sonic listening equipment can be used to locate hidden leaks under landscaping as well as concrete and asphalt.

If you suspect a leak don't hesitate to have the situation assessed. It will save money and possible future damage.

Pittock Mansion undergoing $1.13 million rehabilitation to repair water leaks

Pittock Mansion's east side terraces leak water into the historic mansion. (Courtesy of Pittock Mansion)
By Sara Hottman, The Oregonian The Oregonian
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on June 28, 2013 at 8:00 AM, updated June 28, 2013 at 8:05 AM

The Pittock Mansion is undergoing a $1.13 million rehabilitation, repairing damage incurred from a century of wind and rain.
Construction started at the end of May, according to a release, and the nonprofit Pittock Mansion Society expects work to be finished by October.
In 2014, the Pittock Mansion, 3229 N.W. Pittock Drive, celebrates its centennial, and age has affected its three of its terraces, the nonprofit reports. Three of four terraces leak or seep water, and none of the four drain properly, causing water to leak into the historic mansion's 23 rooms.
The project, including waterproofing and other repairs, has been in the works since 2011. It is being financed by $405,000 in grants and gifts from foundations and individuals, as well as a cumulative $550,000 from the city and $175,000 from the Pittock Mansion Society.
The Pittock Mansion, surrounded by a 46-acre park in the Hillside neighborhood, is maintained by the Pittock Mansion Society and Portland Parks & Recreation.
-- Sara Hottman

Signs And Symptoms To Look For If You Think You Have A Pool Leak

Don't Start Digging. Call the Experts! We can save you time, money and headaches! We're the Leak detection experts! Do you have a Pool Leak? Don't Wait - Prepare your pool for summer today! Constantly refilling the pool wastes time and money.   Signs And Symptoms to Look For: More than 1/4" of water loss in your pool/spa over 24 hours. Algae forming too soon after a chemical treatment. Loose or falling tiles, or cracks. Pool/spa has settled into the ground, and cracks appear on the deck or in the shell. Adding water on a daily basis or auto fill continuously running. Low chemical count due to fresh water being added Higher loss when pool runs, or air bubbles appearing from return lines. Pump not pulling prime properly. Standing water, mushy spots, or uneven grass growth around the pool/spa area. Try The Bucket Test   Bring the pool water to normal level. Fill a five gallon bucket with pool water to about four inches from the top. Place bucket on the first or second step of the pool. Ensure that the bucket is immersed in the pool about half way. Mark the water level inside the bucket. Shut off pump and auto fill then mark pool level on the outside of the bucket. Resume normal pool pump operation, but leave auto fill off. After 24 hours, compare the two water levels. If the pool water goes down more than the inside water level there is probably a leak. If the levels are the same, only evaporation has occurred. If You Suspect a Leak, CALL US FIRST! 888/777-LEAK Share Tweet Forward to Friend

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Leak Detection Techniques and Services

Many cities are beginning to implement new and more efficient ways to reduce water loss and excessive use.  Some of these ways include the use of electronic and sonic listening apparatuses such as our technicians use when locating leaks.

According to the AWWA a recent water research foundation project was designed to create a technical guidance document to assist small system operators in locating their buried infrastructure, identifying water loss, and locating leaks. This is being done in order to help utilities to improve the efficiency of distribution system operations.

Leak management is now being utilized in many if not most utilities and cities.  The following steps are what is included in leak management programs;

• Periodic assessments of leakage through water audits
• The establishment of district metered areas as well as pressure management
• The reduction of response and repair times to reported or detected leaks
• The application of leakage management as an effective part of asset management

These policies in effect will assist utilities in reducing real losses, maximizing water resources, while also improving public health protection.

A report also concluded that electromagnetic leak detection technology is the most accurate and cost-effective means to locating leaks. Most other leak detection techniques include; acoustic listening rods, acoustic ground microphones, as well as Correlators which attach to each end of supply lines.

These proprietary techniques are being utilized more and more now in attempts at more accurate and cost-effective leak detection rather than the search and destroy methods used in the past.

Pool Leak Detection

It's that time of year to get your pools ready for summer! Memorial Day weekend kicks off the beginning of the summer season, and swimming time. It's always a good idea to begin the re-opening process a bit ahead of time if its been covered all winter long. If after uncovering the pool you notice the water beginning to drop more than usual to allow for evaporation you may be experiencing a leak somewhere. To determine whether the amount of water you're losing is just normal evaporation, or an actual leak we suggest you conduct what is referred to as the bucket test:

 

The Bucket Test

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is your pool needing constant refilling? You may have a hidden leak in your pool. Try the seven steps to determine if your pool is leak free. Do-it-yourself 24 hour test. Test your pool

Typical evaporation

A quarter inch of water loss per day is most likely evaporation. The evaporation rate in your area will depend on humidity, sunlight intensity, barometric pressure, wind and the level of activity in the pool or spa.

After the bucket test is completed, use the pool leak calculator to determine how many gallons you're losing in a 24-hour period, an hour, and even per minute.

If after conducting the bucket test you confirm there appears to be a leak somewhere in your pool contact American Leak Detection of Oregon and SW Washington at 888/777-5325 and schedule a time for one of our technicians to come out. We test leaks and locate on pool & spas and also do repairs on them as well.
http://www.americanleakdetection.com/or-oregon/residential-service
http://www.americanleakdetection.com/or-rural-oregon/residential-service Leak Detection