The vast majority of sewer systems are built to take advantage of gravity, with sewer lines sloping downward to convey waste to a treatment plant. Although lift stations and force mains can be used when water must be moved uphill, slope is a critical consideration for the design and maintenance of a sewer system.

Envirosight’s latest infographic depicts key steps in digital workflows for wastewater inspection. Municipalities and contractors can use it to help identify weaknesses in their current flow and understand how digital solutions can increase efficiency across the board.

Boasting a new federal investment of $550 billion in American communities, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal recently passed by the senate is expected to boost the US economy by creating jobs and enhancing sustainability efforts. With new infrastructure ranging from interstate highways and electric buses to lead-free service lines and resilient water infrastructure, the deal is likely to affect nearly all municipal sectors. Its impact will be positively felt in communities for decades to come. In particular, the water and wastewater industries will benefit from historic clean water initiatives and significant infrastructure overhauls in areas of the country most impacted by floods and droughts.

Even with the right tools, standards-compliant sewer inspections require time and resources. But many wastewater departments only need a general understanding of a pipe or manhole’s condition to guide decisions when it comes to prioritizing cleaning and assessment.

Communities across North America have turned to Quickview airHD to meet that need. Its high-powered Quad-Haloptic light engine and HD camera can assess sewer condition rapidly and affordably, making it ideal for prioritizing cleaning and rehab activities, conserving CCTV resources, and avoiding confined space entry.

The wastewater industry is facing a perfect storm that is leaving public works departments scrambling for workers. The industry’s aging workforce is approaching retirement age, and they will take decades of experience with them; meanwhile cash-strapped utilities are seeing budget shortfalls just as much of the nation’s wastewater infrastructure reaches a critical age. At the same time, fewer young people are pursuing careers in the trades. The looming labor shortage, however, has a silver lining for job seekers: A career in the wastewater industry can be both rewarding and lucrative.

When sewer systems work, they’re largely invisible to the public. Wastewater flows, unseen, through pipes from homes, businesses and industries to treatment plants, where it is cleaned and returned to the environment. 

But standing pools of water and foul odor—signs a sewer is not functioning properly—are increasingly common.

Many wastewater operators are fighting an uphill battle. Underground infrastructure across North America is reaching a critical age, and regular inspection and maintenance are essential to ensuring system function. But those require skilled labor and money—which are in short supply in many municipalities.

Digital workflows deliver many benefits to sewer inspection teams. Now, municipalities and contractors who are looking to streamline their workflows for peak efficiency can learn about the fundamentals in our new whitepaper, Digital Workflows for Wastewater Inspection and Maintenance.

Many wastewater pros focus exclusively on gathering inspection footage, but that task is only a small part of the wastewater assessment workflow. And throughout the inspection process, there are a lot of handoffs: from supervisors who are assigning work to inspection crews; from crews who take videos and record observations to the teams assessing and prioritizing future work; from contractors to municipalities when work is completed; and more. Not surprisingly, crews that can transfer inspection and rehab information smoothly tend to work more quickly and efficiently.