Collecting Snap Samples
Challenge
Snap sample is a method of sampling a liquid at a known depth without contaminating the sample with air.
In a sewage plant, samples are taken hourly and placed in an evacuated jug in a refrigerator. When the jug contains 24 samples, it is removed for analysis. The chemical composition of the snap samples are analyzed to determine the extent of the contaminants.
These snap samples are taken from a variety of places within the process, from both the primary and secondary influent, as well as post chlorination/ozonization.
Previous methods of collecting snap samples involved manual collection and potential exposure to harmful pathogens.
Solution
To collect snap samples quicker and avoid exposure to wastewater, use wireless technology to automatically collect snap samples and deliver the contents to the collection jug.
A small pump installed at the collection site can be activated automatically, and at programmed time intervals, to extract the snap sample. A wireless signal is used to trigger the collection and to confirm a successful collection.