Installation of a connected chamber

The local context

Since October 2021, the Aveyron Water Authority has been operating the drinking water network for the 80 municipalities in the intercommunal management body of Lévézou Ségala, supplying water to 30,000 users.

In this largely rural region, water pipes sometimes have to run to isolated buildings, farmhouses or second homes. In these sensitive parts of the network, PVC pipes can be the source of VCM rates which exceed the threshold set by the European drinking water directive.

To regulate the VCM levels, automatic purges have been installed. The solution chosen initially was not to the satisfaction of the Aveyron Water Authority, as the equipment had limited durability. Field workers also needed access to a dedicated terminal to configure the boxes and inspect their condition.

The Wayve solution from Sainte-Lizaigne

The Aveyron Water Authority installed a series of Clean connected boxes (Wayve brand), on 5 branches of the network. Daily automatic purges were set to run each night. The outcome was that the VCM rate was restored to the regulatory threshold, with a better quality of water for the residents.

The field workers can configure the boxes and check their condition from their phones. A remote meter placed upstream of the box allows the operator to check, on the supervision tool, that the volume of purged water was consistent with the settings on the Clean box.

Optimised time management and better use of the resource

The field teams no longer have to make daily treks to purge the network in those hard-to-reach places. They can now spend their time on other tasks, aimed at enhancing the service for users and improving the management of the water resource.

If regular tests are conducted to check the quality of the water after the installation of the Clean boxes, the purge volumes can be adjusted to limit the amount of water released into the natural environment. In the meantime, when the local situation permits, the purged water can be reused for irrigation or for livestock watering.