Viewing water tank inspection best practices with an underwater ROV (remotely operated
vehicle) or underwater drone. Cities, towns, and contractors use these underwater cameras to keep track of the tanks
CONVENTIONAL WATER TANK INSPECTION
Traditionally, divers were required to complete the inspections – but with diver safety, a large priority, inspecting these tanks regularly is costly and cumbersome.
SANITARY CONDITIONS:
The way water towers and water storage facilities are built is meant to make it less likely that contaminants will get into the water. Even with these rules, the tank needs to be checked for cleanliness first, and any problems need to be fixed as soon as possible.
- Make sure no bugs or other things have fallen into the storage area.
- Make sure the roof and side walls are watertight and have no holes. Check the brackets that hold the overflow pipe to the structure to make sure they are secure on both the structure and the overflow pipe and that corrosion hasn’t hurt them.
- Check the roof access hatches to make sure they work and fit right. Also, make sure the roof drains well and doesn’t tend to hold water.
- Find out if and how much silt is building up at the bottom of a tank bowl. The deposits must be taken out on a regular basis to stop the growth of microorganisms, reduce corrosion, and keep the deposits from getting into the distribution system.
Below is a short list of areas to thoroughly inspect with the ROV:
- Check the entire structure for water leaks including all manways, risers, and tower legs. Even in dark water tanks, the high-definition, bright LED flood light lets you see where you need to look.
- Efficiently inspect the integrity of the entire system, with an optional thickness gauge or laser scaler.
- Check to see if the anchor bolts have rusted enough to make them less strong. Ensure no dirt, grass or weeds have accumulated on the anchor bolts.
- Look for cracks in all the welds and seams. A laser scaler is the best tool to measure the size of cracks, rust, and sediment. Your handheld controller shows that there are two lasers 25 mm apart above the camera. With these reference points if issues of cracks or rust are found you can document the severity.
- Check every bolt and rivet for leaks and signs of rust.
SAFETY CONDITIONS:
With the ROV, no topside power is required, so you can complete your entire inspection from the top of the water tower if you so desire. Oftentimes, these water tanks are very high – your safety is extremely important.
- Check ladder brackets to ensure that enough is provided, that they are not damaged by corrosion and that they are secured to both the structure and the ladders.
- Check the condition of all landings and catwalks to make sure they are clean, drain properly and are not damaged by corrosion.
Why Perform a Water Tank Inspection with an ROV?
ROVs have the potential to improve the traditional approaches taken to water tank inspections. Our team has encountered the following benefits of using ROVs compared to traditional methods:
- Using an ROV takes away the risks that come with going into a confined space, which needs permits, planning, and paperwork.
- Water tanks do not require discharging or refilling to perform ROV inspections.
- If repair work needs to be done after an ROV inspection, the footage can be kept and used, which can help with better planning in the future. In the long run, this can save time and money.
- ROV footage gives the detailed, close-up views that are needed to check the inside of a tank.
- ROVs have better tools and attachments that let them take samples from inside a tank and measure how thick the walls are.
Easily bring the ROV up to the top of the tower with us. With no generator required, we can complete all of your inspections from the launch site on top of the tower – or still remotely from our inspection vehicle if you prefer. The digital video recorder will document our entire dive,
including the depth, water temperature, and heading to give directly to our client or to attach as documentation with our final report.
We offer tried and tested services in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Dalby, Darwin and Geelong.
Our friendly and experienced customer service team is here to help you!
Call Raven Tanks at 1800 907 834
Or email at contact@raventanks.com.au