A Better Way To Manage Sewers

For many wastewater operators, things are getting harder, not easier. With diminishing budgets and aging sewer infrastructure across North America, municipalities’ options are limited. Excessive inflow and infiltration (I&I) can cause a collection system to exceed its capacity limits, leading to increased treatment costs and sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) that release untreated effluent into the environment. And aggressive cleaning programs, while effective at clearing pipes of debris, result in some pipes getting over-cleaned. This wastes resources and leads to premature pipe degradation and, eventually, early pipe failure. Today’s teams have neither the time nor the money to do it all.

There’s no such thing as a typical sewer inspection anymore. Sometimes, you need flexible data that can quickly transfer from remote worksites. Sometimes, you need hi-res images to pinpoint exact defects in a pipe. And sometimes, you need something in between. When demands vary from pipe to pipe, you need powerful technology that can keep your team on track.

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?

Crawler inspections can be conducted in a number of different ways, but all serve the same purpose: to assess the condition of a pipe. Because there is little we can find out about a pipe’s condition from above ground, utilizing technology to gather insight underground is essential. 

Even in uncertain times, essential sewer services have to be maintained. When capital budgets at the municipal and state levels are under threat, cities increasingly turn to contractors to inspect and maintain wastewater infrastructure. The challenge for contractors is getting equipped to seize the opportunity.

Cross bores are unintended intersections of utility lines. They can occur when a new natural gas line is installed using trenchless methods and intersects an existing underground lateral sewer connection. A sewer lateral is the underground pipe that connects a residence or business to a main sewer line, which is a large-diameter pipe that channels waste from every lateral to a wastewater processing facility.

Artificial intelligence is spreading across every area of our lives, from ride-sharing apps to spam filters to smart personal assistants. In the last few years, artificial intelligence (AI) has also seeped into the wastewater industry in the form of automated defect coding. AI promises major benefits over traditional operator inspection, mostly in the form of lower error rates and faster inspection times.

Hundreds of municipalities rely on the Quickview airHD to assess sewer condition rapidly and affordably.

Now, this trusted tool can measure the distance to objects observed inside sewer pipes. Users can choose between a free app update that provides quick estimates, or deploy a laser rangefinder accessory for more accurate readings. Knowing the distance to pipe features makes it easier to troubleshoot problems and plan repair work.

The new VC500 controller for the ROVVER X sewer inspection crawler allows for an efficient workflow. From crawler operation and video recording to observation entry and report generation, the VC500 helps ease your inspection process.

To help bring you up to speed on this new controller, Envirosight has created seven short training videos that cover everything from basic navigation to inspection, measurement and reporting. Take just twenty minutes to get a solid foundation for operating the VC500.

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