Effortless pipe inspections drive success for sewer authority

Problem: 

Every day, millions of gallons of water and wastewater travel through underground pipes to be treated, distributed or consumed. According to a 2018 study by Utah State University, water main breaks in the U.S. have increased by 27 percent in the last six years. The majority of these breaks occur on pipes that are more than 50 years old — nearly 30 percent of all installed mains. The Orange Water and Sewer Authority in North Carolina was one that was tasked with caring for this otherwise invisible underground infrastructure.

Solution: 

The authority uses Cityworks and ArcGIS to track not just their physical assets, but also the work, materials, cost and inspection data associated with those assets. Additionally, Cityworks development partners at WinCan created an interface that allows OWASA to track pipe condition data collected from regular CCTV inspections. When OWASA field crews are assigned a CCTV inspection, they can access the Cityworks work order digitally in their truck. Once the inspection is complete, the data and media files collected by WinCan automatically populate the appropriate Cityworks inspection fields. Hyperlinks to the CCTV videos are included in the GIS data for specific pipe segments, which means OWASA engineers can view the GIS data and media files within ArcMap.

Result: 

Because this information is available through a map in a single environment, OWASA engineers can plan with greater awareness, putting them on a path to sustainability. 801-523-2751; www.cityworks.com.

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Crawler camera videos 3.4 miles of storm sewer lines

Problem: 

A customer in Canada had to inspect 3.4 miles of storm sewer lines that varied in size from 12 to 48 inches. These inspections included running up and down through 185 manholes. They needed something heavy-duty to cover all this distance, something easy to configure for different diameters and something reliable.

Solution: 

Fiberscope.net recommended the Stormer S3000 pipe crawler set, with 656 feet of Kevlar-reinforced cable; a strong, durable, variable-speed drivetrain; a color high-quality pan-and-tilt CMOS camera head; advanced LED lighting; and easy-to-use attachments including larger-diameter wheels, and a camera riser system for the larger lines. This unit came with a 10.4-inch monitor and built-in digital video recorder, on-screen footage counter and keyboard to capture accurate videos of their inspections and document which site they were at and how much of the storm line had been inspected. As this unit is compatible with WinCan, reports were easy to generate.  

Result: 

According to the customer, “The Stormer crawler unit was very good for my application. This unit is very fast to change for different size lines, and it has a very clear picture. The only maintenance I’ve had to do is change the connection on the spool because of where the safety cable connects with the Kevlar. I figure that is just normal maintenance.” 800-239-9934; www.fiberscope.net. 

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Contractor nabs market niche with specialized inspection vehicle

Problem: 

Terrell Harmon, the owner of Harmon’s Pipe Service, primarily subcontracts to large new subdivision builders in metro Atlanta. Harmon’s Pipe Service began specializing in inspecting outfalls and other assets requiring off-road access. “Most of my calls were coming for off-road jobs. I guess the big vans couldn’t get video equipment to these places. All sewer lines leave the road eventually. Some go through the woods, down to outfalls in more distant and less-travelled areas. I knew carving out a niche for myself in the market was a good strategy.”

Solution: 

In 2000, Harmon approached Cobra Technologies about building out a complete CCTV system he could mount on a UTV, like a Polaris or Gator. This setup was intended to get his equipment out where the landscape is more rural, and there aren’t many wide, well-maintained roads. Cobra Technologies built Harmon’s UTV-based inspection system, including their AssetDMS PACP-certified data collection and analysis software. They ultimately ruggedized the unit with diamond plate panels.

Result: 

Though it was something of a financial risk, Harmon had studied the jobs coming in and where his market was going. His hunch paid off: He recouped his investment in only about 18 months and now has a lock on the off-road inspection segment of his market. 800-443-3761; www.trio-vision.com.