Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 27, 2026
Tracking Infiltration Front Depth Using Time-lapse Multi-offset Gathers Collected with Array Antenna Ground Penetrating Radar
Published on: May 1, 2018
Detection and quantification of lateral, illicit connections and infiltration in sewers with Infra-Red camera:
Mathieu Lepot1, Konstantinos F Makris1, François H L R Clemens2
1Water Management Department, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, Stevinweg 1 (Building 23), 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Separate sewer systems are sensitive to illegal or mis-connections. Several techniques (including the Distributed Temperature Sensor) are now available to identify and locate those connections. Based on thermal fingerprints, DTS allows the localization of each lateral connection along a reach. The use of Infra-Red camera has been investigated with 748 laboratory experiments (artificial connections along a flume). The tested connections vary in diameters (from 75 to 200 mm), lengths of intrusion (from 0 to 200 m), shapes (circular or linear i.e. cracks), depths, discharge rates between the lateral connection and the main flume, and temperatures. IR frame analysis (for detection) and 2D temperature mapping (at the free water surface, for quantification) demonstrate that: i) the detection limit is very low (ratio between lateral and main discharges: 0.025) and ii) the quantification of the lateral discharge is impossible. Application of an IR camera seems to be a promising technique to detect lateral connections.
