Ecobreves – PERU: TV-Monitored Waterworks

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

LIMA, Jun 1 2002 (IPS) - The Potable Water and Sewage Service of the Peruvian capital installed tiny video cameras inside the pipeline network to detect ruptures and leaks, which present a danger that became evident during the cholera epidemic that erupted here in the 1990s. Ruptures in the sewage and potable water systems, which generally follow parallel paths, allowed contaminated water to enter the clean water supply, turning it into a vector for propagating the disease.

The tiny cameras now in place can rotate 360 degrees, have halogen lamps to illuminate the interior of the pipes and operate with monitors that can reach 760 meters.