CMUD recently committed to purchasing more than 30 devices over the next four years for full-scale use in its daily operations, a contract valued at approximately $800,000, according to Howitt. The price is $3,000 a month to rent the device and $20,000 to buy.

Several other Southeast utility districts are experimenting with the SL-RAT. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development initiated a study to evaluate the performance of acoustical technology in up to 100 sewer segments across Cincinnati, Ohio.