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Robotic Mini-sub to Inspect NYC Water System

Posted by michael on from the no-alligators-here dept.

jhiv writes: "The Delaware Aqueduct, one of the world's longest water tunnels, may be developing potential serious leaks, according to this article in the New York Times (free registration). One leak has already created a pond and a stream with a flow of a million gallons per day. New York city officials plan to use a robotic mini-submarine being developed by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to inspect the interior of the 13 foot diameter tunnel. Previous repairs required four deep sea divers to spend almost a week at 700 feet pressure to fix a leaking valve. Ironically, if the tunnel is repaired, the wetlands created by leaks will be destroyed, causing a potential EPA violation. Additional coverage can be found here and here." NYC has been building a third major water tunnel to take the load off the first two - but it's a fifty-year project.

4 of 228 comments (clear)

  1. This is some VERY cool stuff! by nbvb · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's simply amazing to me how much we take for granted our water supply....

    That said, I hope there's still water to run through the aqueduct come May.... we're having a SERIOUS drought condition here in the Northeast...

    In fact, both Jersey and New York (ever notice how Jersey is the only "New" state that can be named without the "new"? Anyway...) Anyway, both Jersey and New York are in a "Stage 3" water emergency.... and it's only early March!

    This is gonna be a bad one.... let's hope the little yellow submarine finds some secret cache of a few billion gallons :-)

    --NBVB

  2. Autonomous robots == good by danro · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Previous repairs required four deep sea divers to spend almost a week at 700 feet pressure to fix a leaking valve.
    This sounds like a really horrible experience (Working underground, in streaming, high-pressure water for a week.), not to mention dangerous.(Could have been worse though, think sewer, think high-pressure sh*t!).Good thing they have a remote controlled device for it now.
    The job seems like _the_ poster-boy for why we need autonomous robots...
    --

    "First lesson," Jon said. "Stick them with the pointy end."
  3. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  4. Infrastructure by the lowest bidder by SimJockey · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Roman aquaducts seem to be lasting 20 times as long as this. Silly capitalism. :)

    Seriously, crumbling infrastructure is only part of the reason that I see water getting (comparitively) real expensive in our lifetime. As source waters get more scarce and contaminated treatment costs go up. Plus the infrastructure is just wearing out. And since governments (at least in N. America) seem loathe to raise taxes, the costs are going to be passed on to the end user. Which I really don't think is a bad thing, once people realize the real costs of the resources they take for granted, conservation should go way up.

    So yeah, flame me for being a tree hugger. Some are passionate about linux, I'm passionate about water.

    --
    Laugh while you can, monkey boy!