Push camera and roller skid save time and money

Problem: By the time a plumber showed up at a home in Valatie, New York, the customer was stressed because the sewer pipe was backing up. No amount of plunging had worked and professional help was needed. An access plug in the pipe leading to the septic tank was easily accessible. Once removed, several buckets were used to collect sewage.

Solution: The plumber installed the CPI Products Trapmaster to get a 1.5-inch push camera into the 4-inch pipe and was able to pass by the remaining debris to view the blockage and determine exactly where it was. It turned out to be the last remaining section of a more than 30-year-old asphalt-coated paper pipe that had collapsed. They were able to pinpoint this by using the push camera with the roller skid.

RESULT: The collapsed section was easily accessed, and it saved time since digging up the entire pipeline wasn’t necessary. The repair was completed quickly, and the customer has a proper line all the way to the septic tank. 

413-443-0925; www.cplasproducts.com

Acoustic sewer inspection saves time and money

Problem: The town of Oakland, Maine, has approximately 11.6 miles of gravity sewer piping. With a limited maintenance budget, the town needed a means to prioritize their maintenance operations. Historically, the town could only budget for 1 mile of cleaning and CCTV inspection, which they hire out at great expense.

Solution: Oakland contacted InfoSense — manufacturer of the Sewer Line Rapid Assessment Tool — to help solve this problem. The SL-RAT is a highly portable assessment tool that utilizes acoustics to provide an understanding of sewer blockage conditions at less than 1/10th the cost of alternatives. Using the SL-RAT, a two-man crew inspected their gravity collection system in a few weeks. They used this data to identify pipes that need cleaning or CCTV inspection.

RESULT: The SL-RAT program yielded two benefits. First, the inspection data showed that approximately 15% of pipes required follow up action. This helped Oakland meet their insurance due diligence requirements and direct their CCTV and cleaning resources to the correct pipe segments. Second, after completing a follow-up screening, town management identified underlying pipe defects — such as root growth — that caused certain segments to become clogged, even after a cleaning. In total, the SL-RAT program has realized over $51,000 in crew labor and financial savings, while reducing the risk of further sanitary sewer maintenance issues. The SL-RAT has provided the town with a reliable, rapid, low-cost method to assess their collection system, providing peace of mind that the system is functioning properly.

877-747-3245; www.infosense.com