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
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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.