VideoRay Sonar Training for Aquifer Inspections
The Malta Sustainable Energy & Water Conservation Unit (SEWCU) recently completed training on its VideoRay Pro 3 GTO remotely operated vehicle (ROV) with BlueView V-130 multibeam imaging sonar. Steve Van Meter travelled to the Ta' Kandja Pumping Station to train four members of the SEWCU on the recently purchased sonar. Van Meter had previously trained the crew on the Pro 3 GTO which was purchased from SR Services Ltd in 2014.
Ta' Kandja Pumping Station is the largest and primary pumping station on the Maltese Islands, with a network spanning 42km (26 miles) and galleries stretching 915m to 1,525m long (3,000-5,000ft) down to 300ft underground. Malta relies on these aquifers for the public water supply, including drinking water for its 450,000 citizens as well as agriculture. Before obtaining the VideoRay, the SEWCU had to visually inspect the pumping station by walking down each gallery. Now, the ROV and sonar allow the entire pumping station to be inspected within a day or two.
The SEWCU has already used the ROV and sonar for other applications, including underwater pipeline inspections, and gallery inspections at other pumping stations.
Image: A VideoRay Pro 3 GTO ROV conducting a visual inspection inside the Ta' Kandja Pumping Station in Malta. Image courtesy: Steve Van Meter.
