Falcon AUV Used to Inspect Water Pipeline in San Francisco
Officials in San Francisco used a Falcon autonomous underwater vehicle to inspect the five-mile long Hetch Hetchy water pipeline, located below the floor of the San Francisco Bay.
The inspection, which took place over the course of two days, was the culmination of six months of planning.
David Briggs, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s water system manager, explained the reasoning behind using the AUV.
“It’s a much safer way to inspect our tunnel than sending personal down that deep and into a five-mile tunnel,” he said via an article with NBC Bay Area. Besides the depth being an issue, the pipeline also doesn’t have any outlets for a human if they need to evacuate.
During the inspection, the AUV, which was equipped with three HD cameras, transmitted video footage to the inspectors, while looking for cracks, build up and debris in the tunnel of the pipeline.
The results of the inspection were positive, as no issues were found in the pipeline. According to those involved with the inspection, the tunnel won’t need another inspection for several decades.
ASI Marine controlled the AUV during the inspection, as it deployed the Falcon and all its power and communication cables, and lowered them down an entrance pipe into the tunnel.
