Deep Scan Tech

Deep Scan Tech helps protect critical sewer infrastructure from overflows

Deep Scan Tech is helping the water utility of Kuopio, Finland to detect and remedy sewer overflows with the unique 3D scanning technology that allows underground pipelines to be studied from the surface. The need for better ways to find defects in the sewer system is growing. Climate change will increase the demands and risks related with water and sewage in cities due to heavy rainfall and urban flooding. As a result, overflows in the sewerage network and at pumping stations are likely to increase, as are bypasses at water treatment plants. Some sewers carry combined raw sewage and stormwater on purpose, some sewers are inadvertently flooded with stormwaters due to leaks. In either case, severe flooding can lead to health and environmental risks. These risks should preferably be countered beforehand by finding leaks.

“In countries with older infrastructure the share of leakage from water networks can be as high as 50%”

In Finland, sewer overflows are often caused by poor sewerage networks, which allow stormwater to enter the sewer system through broken sewer pipes and manholes. The challenge with overflows is that too little is known about the condition of the networks, partly due to a lack of proper survey and data management methods. For decades, sewer network condition surveys have been carried out using traditional analytical methods, which make it laborious – if not impossible – to assess the condition of the entire sewer network. Moreover, many hidden leakage points remain undetected.

This pilot project with the water utility of Kuopio, a city of 120 000 inhabitants, demonstrates the performance, usability and cost-effectiveness of new 3D scanning technologies for identifying and locating sewer leaks. It will also assess the applicability, replicability and scalability of the technology for mapping different risk areas in cities around the world. Although piloted in this project for sewer infrastructure, the same types of 3D scans can be produced just as well of water networks.

“Instead of investing in costly infrastructure to produce more clean water, consuming valuable natural resources, it makes sense to first find and fix the leaks.”

Water management is crucially important in a world that has fast growing urban populations, scarce water resources and disruptions due to climate change. At the same time, there is tremendous waste. Some water systems leak continuously: even in Finland an average of 18% of drinking water leaks out of the network and in countries with older infrastructure the share of leakage can be as high as 50% [1]. Instead of investing in costly infrastructure to produce more clean water, consuming valuable natural resources, it makes sense to first find and fix the leaks.

The project will be completed during 2022. The Ministry of the Environment of Finland has funded the project with 25 000 euros from the Water Protection Efficiency Programme [2].

[1] Finland is developing a digital platform for managing global water resources
[2] The Water Protection Efficiency Programme (Vesiensuojelun tehostamisohjelma)

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