Wallace & Tiernan Chloroclam and Hydraclam water sampling technology

The need for innovation in the Australian drinking water industry has been heavily influenced by changes to the Public Health Act 2010 and the Public Health Regulation 2012. These Acts require drinking water suppliers to develop and adhere to a ‘quality assurance program’ (or drinking water management system), and from 1 September 2014, this requirement applies to water suppliers defined in the Act, including water utilities, private water suppliers and water carters.

The requirements of the Act can be met in different ways including manual sampling, analysers housed in roadside cabinets or service pits, which require external power supplies. The manual sampling process, however, can be time-consuming and power supplies are not always available or reliable. As a result of this, on-site manual water sampling and laboratory testing must be undertaken before problems within the network can be identified.

Reducing risk and streamlining the process of chlorine analysis is the newest product offering from Wallace & Tiernan, an Evoqua brand. The Chloroclam and Hydraclam technology allow for the deployment of analysers simultaneously across the network, providing a multimeasured approach. The process includes the measurement of total or free chlorine and temperature (Chloroclam) while turbidity, electrical conductivity and pressure (Hydraclam) can be monitored throughout the network simultaneously.

Transmitting measurements at preset time intervals, the analysers function automatically and do not require interaction from an operator. Powered by lithium batteries, these analysers allow samples to be taken directly from fire hydrants or from any point in the potable water reticulation system. Once a sample is taken, vital data is transmitted to the utilities provider via the mobile phone network. This enables utilities to receive their chlorination readings in near real time, allowing for quicker responses to any deviations of safe levels.

The automated water sampling technology assists utilities to rectify water-quality issues in a time frame shorter than manual sampling could do and helps provide the assurance that safe water is delivered to the public.

Developed in conjunction with and manufactured under licence from Salamander.