Background
Polluted water contaminating the surface water and drinking water supply has been identified by the EPA as one of the most serious environmental problems facing the United States Leaking sewage collector lines, storm water drain discharges and illegal taps into storm water drainage lines can often be identified by their thermal infrared signatures during certain times of the year. As these sources of pollution leak, seep or empty into creeks, streams, rivers and lakes, their thermal signatures vary from their surroundings and they can be pinpointed accurately from the air.
This flow of liquid typically appears warm as compared to the surface water in a creek, stream, river or lake – particularly during cooler times of the year, due to the relative warmth of the ground a short distance below the surface. Leaks from nearby lines often come to the surface through lateral transfer to a creek, stream, river or lake bed, or to a slope leading down to the surface of the water. These leak areas and the warm plume of liquid joining and flowing downstream with the body of water are visible in the thermal infrared spectrum due to the difference in temperatures of the two liquids. Late fall, winter and early spring are well suited to this type of inspection because of the different water temperatures (ground and surface waters) and because the interference to view by foliage is minimized. Ground water seeps and outfalls of all types are also easily distinguishable for similar reasons.
How Can Pollution FindIR Help Me?
Stormwater collection systems are engineered to discharge into surface waters to efficiently drain selected areas. All too often these systems convey pollutants from illicit connections, degraded sanitary sewers and other sources.
Until now, locating these point sources has been a labor-intensive task, often relying on sampling data from sites that may be blocks or even miles from the actual source.
Let Aerial Infrared Thermographers’ Pollution FindIR™ Service do the dirty work for you… at 100 mph!
POLLUTION FINDIR REPORTS INCLUDE:
- Digital image files of selected infrared images with the name coordinated to the exact location.
- Printed list of all anomalies, indicating the location of each anomaly by latitude/longitude and by location/image number.
- Printed maps indicating the exact location of each anomaly.
- CD-ROM containing all digital files from the project.
- VHS videotape copy of the raw infrared imagery. (Original digital copy is available on request.)