Technology and innovation are the bets of Águas do Rio to inspect the Tunnel-Canal | Nilópolis

Rio – Technology is an important ally of Águas do Rio in the 27 cities in Rio de Janeiro under its concession. Since the first day of operation, in November 2021, the company has used and invested in state-of-the-art equipment and software to, among other actions, carry out works, monitor systems and minimize impacts caused by water losses. Recently, the company received unprecedented help: an autonomous boat thoroughly inspected the Veiga de Brito Water Pipeline, better known as the Tunnel-Canal – it is 34 km long and is located between the neighborhoods of Santíssimo, in the West Zone of Rio, and Jardim Botanical, in the South Zone.

The Tunnel-Canal was built in the 60s, and through it half of the water produced at the Guandu Treatment Station is taken to the city of Rio de Janeiro and five municipalities in Baixada Fluminense: Nilópolis, Mesquita, Nova Iguaçu, Belford Roxo and São João from Meriti. The autonomous vessel works as follows: it is an unmanned surface vehicle that carries out off-board monitoring.

During the journey, he filmed and photographed the tunnel, while professionals from the concessionaire monitored the route in real time from outside the pipeline. They explained that, during the inspection, it is possible to stop the vehicle and make a detailed assessment of a specific point. In the end, a diagnosis containing videos and photos is generated for evaluation.

“During the Guandu System shutdown, which only occurs once a year, we generally have very little time to work on the Tunnel-Canal. With this solution, we are opening up the possibility of carrying out more preventive inspections and planning actions more assertively”, explained Edes Fernandes, engineer and consultant at Águas do Rio.