EmDoT’s IoT solution revolutionizes sewer monitoring in the city of Karditsa

Providing a complete solution to Waste Management, EmDoT presents the Sewer Monitoring solution, which was successfully applied in key points across the sewage network of an innovative Greek city, in collaboration with DEYA Karditsas. Along with Fill Level Sensor “ED120” and Dynamic Bin Weighing “DoT. Weighing”, the Sewer Monitoring completes EmDoT’s waste management product range.

As in Europe, so in Greece the sewage network consists of a set of pipelines, pumping stations and other constructions – such as wells – which aim to collect and transport the flows. Based on the current EU directive and national legislation on the treatment and disposal of urban wastewater, in settlements with an equivalent population of over 2,000 inhabitants there must be a network for the collection of urban waste water. In Europe and in the USA, the old sewage facilities connected to this network are designed to receive a part of the rainfall. Therefore, when the total flow of sewage and rainwater exceeds a certain maximum flow that the facility can accept, the overflow and disposal of the sewage and rainwater without any treatment occurs. Such pollution problems are significant and global: it is estimated that in London around 39 million tonnes of sewage are discharged untreated into the Thames within a year.

Also in the Greek cities, the overflows of the sewerage networks consist one of the most important problems in the sewage network management. The main reasons of the overflows include:

• The improper maintenance of the network
• The local concentrations of illegal non-drainable materials, which cause narrowing or even blockage of the
  sewerage networks
• Illegal connections to the sewerage network, contribute to the dilution of sewage and increase the volume of
  incoming sewage and rainwater to be treated, thereby increasing the cost of their treatment.
• and heavy rainfall

The discharge of raw sewage into the sea or onto a road surface creates a severe environmental problem with undefined and incalculable effects on public health. Also, civil and criminal liabilities arise, for example in the event of a road accident following a spill on a road surface or affecting the use of the sea in the spill area.

To protect the environment, the community and themselves, Water and Sewerage Companies have the duty and legal obligation to minimize the risk of uncontrolled discharges.

The solution

In the current climate change conditions, it’s hard to predict the rainfall timing and severity. Innovative cities can’t build new sewage networks, neither can they predict the future. But they can build preventive mechanisms. The central Greece city, Karditsa embraces this philosophy and takes action, transitioning to more circular and sustainable waste models. In these terms, the Municipal Water Supply and Sewerage Company of Karditsa (DEYA Karditsas) teamed up with EmDoT to apply EmDoT’s innovative Sewer Monitoring Solution in key points across the city’s network.

EmDoT’s Sewer Monitoring Solution monitor the sewage levels in real-time alarming when critical levels occur. The main goals of the project are:

• to drastically reduce overflow damage restoration costs
• to help improve the quality of life of citizens, safeguarding public health and hygiene, preventing pollution and
  preventing accidents
• significantly reduce the cost of maintaining the sewage network, due to preventive maintenance

At DEYA Karditsas, the supply and activation of EmDoT’s Sewer Monitoring Solution to early detect overflows was sumpplemented by the creation of a corresponding Control Center for the sewer network. The Control Center monitors the water level in the selected sewer. At the same time, the platform’s graphic display provides real time data and a notification mechanism informs against the potentionally extraordinary conditions that may arise. It’s worth noting that EmDoT’s Sewer Monitoring Solution and the Control Center where actually usefull within the first 20 days of January 2023. After a timely notification, DEYA’s Karditsas engineers mobilized the service mechanism, that confirmed the increase in the water level and proceeded with the necessary actions to prevent the overflow.

“EmDoT’s systems are quick and easy to install, enabling us to monitor daily the level of the sewerage network. We can collect data and know the cause of overflow in each sewer manhole and the system enables a focused and timely response to prevent overflow”, explains A. Zagoritis, Technical Manager, DEYA KARDITSAS.

At EmDoT we work for a world with happy citizens, sanitary streets and seascapes on smart cities and successful companies fueling a green economy. Our Sewer Monitoring Solution creates value for every Municipality and Sewerage Company, globally, that aims to optimize their operational results and offer a sustainable quality of life.