Aquana, LLC., a subsidiary of Geospace Applied sciences, introduced a brand new distant shutoff valve that the corporate calls the Actuator Valve Serial (AVS). It’s an IP68-rated distant disconnect ball valve claimed to combine with any superior metering infrastructure (AMI).
An IP, or ingress safety, code is a world customary that signifies how nicely a tool protects in opposition to water or mud. The primary digit on this case signifies that the machine is dust-right in an 8-hour check. The second digit, 8, means the valve can forestall water entry even when immersed in a meter of water (simply over three toes).
Superior Metering Infrastructure, in response to the Environmental Safety Company, is a system that may often gather real-time knowledge to establish uncommon water utilization patterns. The AMI can sign the AVS to sluggish or shut down water stream.
In January, a brand new report from Aon Canada’s Actual Property Follow, famous that water injury is the main reason for claims in frequency and greenback worth, constituting 47% of all insurance coverage claims. The research discovered that 23% of the full water injury quantities might have been “efficiently mitigated” with leak detection and water stream administration programs. That will have represented $4.8 million in losses. Mitigation would have eradicated $3.3 million. So, whereas 58% might have been positively affected, solely 23% would have been efficiently mitigated. Not a magic resolution, however a useful gizmo.
“The Aquana AVS gives an inexpensive resolution for water utilities looking for to include distant water shutoff into their service territory,” an organization press launch mentioned. “The AVS helps enhance worker security whereas lowering working bills for water utilities by permitting distant begin, cease, or diminished water supply to particular areas with out sending service personnel to the sector.”
The valve is accredited to be used with Itron’s AMI community and is claimed to be appropriate with AMI programs from different distributors, eliminating the necessity for separate wi-fi connections to allow shut-off capabilities.
“The 2-piece design permits for separate set up of the valve physique and the actuator” to make set up simpler, says the corporate. “The AVS affords as much as 5 totally different valve positions together with open, closed, and as much as three reduced-flow choices that utilities can customise to their wants. AVS consists of built-in tamper detection that gives alerts in case of potential intrusion.”
Though designed for utilities, the use can in the end assist a property proprietor by figuring out leaks that additionally might be in a constructing. That mentioned, having a separate system inside a constructing, which might establish and shut down leaks at a extra granular stage, would appear to make sense.
