Measure H2S in Your Sewer Networks

Protect Your Pipes and Municipal Employees

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in sewer networks is an invisible enemy that corrodes your concrete pipes and threatens the health of your workers. Avizo offers a comprehensive service for measuring, monitoring, and identifying H2S contamination sources.

Infrastructure Impacts

H₂S Destroys Your Concrete Pipes from the Inside

Hydrogen sulfide is naturally released from wastewater in sewer pipes. In its gaseous phase, it triggers a biogenic corrosion process that irreversibly attacks concrete.

🔴 Acid Biogenic Corrosion

Gaseous H₂S settles on pipe walls above the waterline. Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria convert it into sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄), which aggressively attacks the concrete and steel reinforcement inside the pipes.

🔴 Structural Deterioration

The acid dissolves the cement paste and transforms the surface into a soft gypsum layer. Progressive wall thinning reduces the pipe’s load-bearing capacity, leading to collapses and major failures.

🔴 Replacement Costs

A pipe designed to last 75 years can be out of service in less than 20 years under high H₂S conditions. Emergency repairs cost 3 to 5 times more than planned interventions.

Key Figures

Occupational Health & Safety

Protect Your Municipal Employees

Blue-collar workers and technicians who maintain sewer networks are the most exposed to H₂S. Every manhole opening, every intervention in a pump station or valve chamber puts them in potential contact with this colorless, deceptively odored gas.

H₂S becomes undetectable by smell at lethal doses because it paralyzes the olfactory nerve. Knowing high-concentration areas allows for safe planning of interventions, targeting sectors that require ventilation or specific protective equipment, and meeting your obligations under the OHSA.Learn more about hydrogen sulfite health guidelines from Health Canada.

Exposure Thresholds

Our Approach

A Turnkey Service, from Measurement to Source

Source Tracing

Tracing the Problem Back to Its Source

High H₂S concentrations primarily originate from industrial wastewater discharges rich in sulfates and organic matter. When our measurements reveal critical levels, we can combine monitoring with an in-depth wastewater characterization over several days, allowing us to trace back through the network and precisely identify the responsible industry or discharge.

This rigorous approach provides municipalities with the evidence-based data needed to demand corrective action from responsible sources and protect the long-term integrity of their infrastructure.

Protect Your Infrastructure and Your Teams

Contact our experts !