NEWCASTLE, AUSTRALIA – Detection Services in association with partner Rezatec, global provider of satellite data analytics, is using its state-of-the-art satellite technology to monitor any potential structural and environmental changes at Hunter Water’s Grahamstown Dam, near Newcastle, Australia.

Grahamstown Dam is the Hunter’s largest drinking water storage, holding up to 182,000 million liters of water. It provides around half of the drinking water used by Hunter Water’s customers on an ongoing basis.

Hunter Water has engaged Detection Services to provide an asset monitoring program featuring a highly targeted approach to identify hotspots of terrain movement, soils saturations, vegetation growth, moisture levels and structural movement.

Using sophisticated analysis of satellite derived imagery and geospatial data, Rezatec’s technology allows for a risk-based approach to evaluate Grahamstown Dam. This has delivered a two-year retrospective trend analysis, with millimeter precision. This technology is the only way for dam owners and engineers to look retrospectively and remotely at changes and trends over time. This enables a historic duty of care, with accurate insights to identify abnormal activity. Geospatial technology is critical in addressing asset repairs, maximizing operational and infrastructure issues, while optimizing capital improvement and sustainability programs confirming real value for Hunter Water.

One of the challenges was an 80km per hour, two-lane road running along the top of part of the southern embankment which posed increased health and safety issues for staff needing to access that part of the dam.

Hunter Water’s Dams Safety Engineer, Daniel Turnbull, commented, “When we found out about Rezatec’s innovative monitoring service via Detection Services we were very excited about the capability to improve how we monitor our assets. Their analytics are very accurate and were able to detect movements associated with historical works that had taken place, that Rezatec had no knowledge of. We are also able to see trends of movement at more frequent intervals than would be practical with traditional survey techniques, all achieved with zero risk to on-site personnel.”

Detection Services and Rezatec provide satellite imagery, geospatial data and cloud-based analytics to assist utilities in managing and assessing their ground-based assets and mission critical infrastructure – at scale. Detection Services is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the growing demand to assist utilities to prioritize investment in the right place at the right time, boost the value of their assets and accelerate more powerful decisions bringing success to their customers’ infrastructure management goals.

Detection Services General Manager, Chris Evans, stated, “We’ve partnered with Rezatec for a number of years now. This new service to dam owners and operators is a great addition to their existing capabilities and we’re confident that it will help effectively monitor dams and other critical infrastructure across the world. The ability of the approach to remotely monitor infrastructure without sending teams into remote locations has immediate and obvious advantages.”