A multi-criteria analysis of sewer monitoring methods for locating pipe blockages and manhole overflows

Abstract

This article is devoted to the aggregation of existing methods for monitoring sewerage systems into a single symbiosis, in particular methods for identifying the locations of clogged pipes and manhole overflows. Clogging of sewers is a frequent problem in large cities, entailing overfilling of manholes with sewage and disruption of the whole sewage system. Today, there are several methods for monitoring sewers: visual, acoustic and laser. Each method is represented by a wide range of devices with different characteristics and applications. The analysis identified the main technical and economic characteristics for each solution presented. Then, on the basis of the data obtained, a multi-criteria analysis was made according to several parameters: measurement accuracy, maximum diameter of the inspected pipe, type of pipe, cost. For the most objective selection, each parameter was given its own weight, and all parameters were normalized for their objective comparison. On this basis, all solutions were sorted by maximum values for each criterion, taking into account the selection by weights. As a result of the multicriteria analysis, five combinations of solutions were built, including several monitoring methods.