Hydrological Service
Mannvit offers comprehensive hydrology services, including early-stage field investigations to detail design to long-term monitoring. Formally added to the available engineering services in 2006, hydrological services serve Mannvit`s goal of offering fully integrated engineering solutions.
Data management system
Time series are a product of hydrometry and related surveys, and include values of physical parameters over time. Examples are water level, temperature and other parameters describing water quality, like electrical conductivity, acidity, turbidity, etc. Mannvit places a great deal of importance on professional and secure data management and storage. With this in mind, the company has invested in a data management system. The data management system provides overall data management and the archival of data collected from a variety of sources, and is also used to process, analyze, visualize and report all measured data.
Equipment
Because the equipment is no longer needed by the client once the field work is complete, our model is to lease the necessary equipment for a project. This is a more cost effective model because it eliminates the need for our customers to buy the equipment or pay for any needed repairs.
From our experience with different types of equipment, we have chosen a selection of what we think are the best to build a homogeneous and reliable system. Our main providers are OTT, Campbell Scientific, Geokon and Kuster Company.
Services:
Groundwater monitoring
In relation to planning communities and structures, groundwater monitoring is essential for the consultation. Groundwater monitoring involves the measurement of water level, temperature and electrical conductivity. Over the last several years, automatic groundwater monitoring has become a part of almost every project in Iceland. In locations close to the sea, the monitoring not only concentrates on the groundwater level, but also the thickness of the fresh water layer, floating on the saline groundwater.
Surface water
Hydrological research are a major basis for any hydropower project and in some cases for road construction. Measurements of surface water involve water level, discharge (flow), sediment transport, water temperature and electrical conductivity. Mannvit has invested in the necessary equipment to measure all of the above parameters and the software to perform calculations of rating curves, flow and other derived time series.
Sea
Monitoring of sea level is involved in roads and bridge construction, often conducted as part of a modeling work.
Wastewater facilities
Mannvit has performed extensive measurements of flow, water level in pipes and pumping stations, temperature and electrical conductivity of sewage water. The data are used to analyze design flow of pumping stations and sewage treatment plants, dry-weather flow and runoff coefficients. Recently, Mannvit performed a major revision of wastewater facilities for the Árborg municipality, which included an analysis of dry-weather flow and runoff coefficients.
Water quality monitoring
Mannvit’s management of water quality monitoring has roots in different projects. For example, the chemical composition of geothermal water is of importance for those who design district heating systems. The quality of groundwater is also of importance in the vicinity of landfills. Mannvit has the required equipment for basic monitoring of water quality and is in the process of developing a chemistry laboratory. Currently, more complex analytical chemistry services are purchased from specialized and internationally trusted sources.
Well logging
Well logging is a part of geothermal exploration, but is being developed in parallel with the hydrological services. Mannvit has invested in a winch which is used to transport the logging devices down the well with variable speed. The wire length can be up to 5000m of 3mm slickline wire. Temperature and pressure is measured with K10 High Temperature Geothermal Memory Gauge from Kuster Company. It can measure temperatures of up to 350°C.
Project examples:
Client: The Icelandic Road Administration
Project: New road in Hornafjörður
Service: Sea level measured for modeling, 2006
Client: The Icelandic Road Administration
Project: New road in Þorskafjörður
Service: Sea level measured for modeling, 2007
Client: Árborg municipality
Project: Design flow of a new sewage treatment plant
Service: Hydrological surveys and analysis of design flow, 2007/2008
Client: Situs
Project: Concert and conference centre in Reykjavík
Service: Groundwater monitoring, from 2007
Client: Landsvirkjun Power;
Project: Bjallavirkjun Hydro Power Plant
Service: Hydrological surveys, including sediment transport in glacial river Jökulgilskvísl, started 2008
Client: Þeistareykir
Project: Geothermal Power Plant
Service: Monitoring of groundwater level and temperature in a boiling well, started 2008
Client: Þeistareykir
Project: Geothermal Power Plant
Service: Temperature logging in a geothermal well, 2007 and 2008
Client: HS Orka
Project: Svartsengi and Reykjanes Geothermal Power Plants
Service: Groundwater monitoring, started 2009