Using Parshall Flumes in Hawaii
Openchannelflow offers a range of Parshall Flumes for a variety of flow measurement applications in Hawaii. The primary use of Parshall Flumes in Hawaii is to measure sanitary / wastewater flows, but the flumes are also used to measure industrial discharge and water use / irrigation flows. Stormwater / runoff measurement is another use of Parshall Flumes in Hawaii.
Dating back as early as the 1930's, in the Honolulu district, Parshall flumes have been used on small, flashy streams as a means of artifical control - particularly on streams that carry bed loads of gravel, boulders, and debris (keep in mind, where such bed loads are present, galvanized steel or even field poured concete flumes are used).
Materials & Sizes of Parshall Flumes Used in Hawaii
Most Parshall Flumes used in Hawaii are made out of fiberglass, although Openchannelflow offers a full range of materials to suit your particular application’s needs, including:
- Aluminum (for portability)
- Galvanized Steel (for low cost / repairability)
- and Stainless Steel (for corrosive or abrasive applications)
Typically, Parshall Flumes used for non-wastewater applications are 18-inch in size and smaller, but Openchannelflow can provide Parshall Flumes up to 144-inches to handle even the highest flow applications! For specialty applications, Openchannelflow can also provide flumes in polycarbonate or HDPE construction.
Where debris loads are high in rocky content, it may be more practical to used formed concrete Parshall Flumes as they can better resist the abrasive effects of the debris.
Our Local Partner - Clipper Controls
Openchannelflow partners with Clipper Controls to serve Hawaii. While headquartered in Sacramento California, Clipper Controls sales staff make regular monthly visits to the Hawaiian Islands - conducting needs analyses, educating customers, and servicing equipment.
Clipper Controls is also the authorized Teledyne ISCO representative - so they are uniquely suited to proving complete flow metering packages for open channel applications.
Combining Openchannelflow’s flumes with ISCO’s flow meters and samplers, all supported by Clipper Control’s sales and service, Openchannelflow/Clipper Controls are here to help!
Image Credit: NPS Photo/Greg Cunningham
