Purchasing a sewer inspection crawler is a significant investment for any municipality. It’s a time-consuming process that involves research, resources and multiple decision-makers. You know that your new crawler’s performance is vital to your organization’s success, but how do you make sure you choose the right system for your needs?

Root intrusion is a common cause of sewer pipe damage. If not properly addressed, root-related issues can wreak havoc on a municipality’s wastewater collection system. Luckily, there are many solutions available to municipalities looking to implement root control measures.

Communities are constantly changing, and the demands on infrastructure evolve with them. Recent census results revealed that the U.S. population grew by 7.4% over the last decade. And movement within the country means that many states grew even faster.

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.