On Sept. 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria rose to the level of a Category 5 hurricane. The island of Puerto Rico was in its path. Residents endured 150 mph winds. The islands lost communications, power, and water. Main roads were washed out and residents suffered from water-borne illnesses due to breaches in the municipal water system.
As the country continued to rebuild from that disaster, major widespread flooding occurred again on Feb. 5, 2022. Residents experienced more than six inches of rain over six hours. Waves—in some cases, more than 13 feet—pummeled the beach.
Rebuilding Infrastructure
Smaller systems started to come back online, but thousands of homes—some still covered with blue tarps—were yet to be fixed. Residents endured ongoing power outages. In 2020, FEMA announced an additional $365 million for permanent and emergency work on 1,822 projects to repair and upgrade water and sewer systems, and other water control facilities.
As water treatment ramped up, beginning to reach more rural populations, local water plants looked toward BinMaster for accurate inventory management. At one facility, twelve liquid radar sensors (CNCR-210s) were installed and worked as a perfect solution.
“We are very happy with the radars,” the plant manager said. “We hope to upgrade another 20 plants with 200 radars to have one comprehensive view of the water supply.”
Why was CNCR-210 the best choice in Puerto Rico?
• Compact, non-contact sensor never contacts clean drinking water
• The sensor’s 26-foot measuring range was ideal for the application
• 80 GHz frequency performs well despite overspray, humidity, and noise
• Accommodates full temperature range characteristic of climate
• PVDF enclosure and FKM seal brings high environmental protection
• Radar has no dead zone and measures to the sensor face if necessary
• Narrow 8° beam angle is easily focused around the structure in the plant
With a large number of sensors to install, simplicity was essential. A stainless-steel wall mounting bracket designed to accommodate the 1 1/2” NPT threading was bolted to the cement structure of each holding tank. Wiring was completed via the 1/2" NPT wiring connection to send the 4-20 mA signal to BinCloud® software.
How Do Radars Work for Liquid Measurement?
BinMaster’s CNCR compact radar level sensors are great for process water and wastewater applications. The continuous level sensors reliably measure liquids and solids, despite excessive humidity, steam, and vapor, and noise. The 80 GHz technology performs accurately, even if buildup or condensation occurs on the sensor face.
The compact CNCR-210 specifically features a two-wire 4-20 mA output and is offered with either a 1 1/2" threaded or straight NPT connection. It can be used for measuring liquid levels through the tank wall when used on a plastic storage tank or an IBC container.
Sensors collect data, then move it to cloud platforms like BinCloud. The platform then organizes information into real-time monitoring interfaces, providing automated alerts via text or email and offering historical reporting. Software can be used to manage a single site or across multiple locations to measure hundreds of vessels.
