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Pipe inspection system unveiled

The City of Yorkton wants to get the sanitary and storm sewer systems in good shape, but to do that they need to see what the problems are.
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THE CITY OF YORKTON is undertaking a CCTV inspection of the sewer pipes, and has purchased new equipment in order to see what is happening under the streets. Pictured above, Doran Flundra shows off the remote camera.

The City of Yorkton wants to get the sanitary and storm sewer systems in good shape, but to do that they need to see what the problems are. A new closed-circuit television (CCTV) inspection system has been purchased to help city workers see what's going on under the streets and identify where there are problems.

The system consists of a remote-controlled robotic crawler with an attached digital video camera and recorder. The crawler goes through the tunnel and records video and location to see what the problems are and the severity. Those problems are rated on a scale of one to five, with five being the most severe and in need of work.

The pipes are rated according to National Association of Sewer Service Companies (NASSCO) and Pipeline Assessment and Certification Program (PAPC) standards, in line with what is used by other municipalities. Fifteen employees have received NASSCO and PAPC certifications. Rene Richard, assistant director of Public Works, says this allows the city to compare their sewer systems to other cities and better develop a long term maintenance program.

The priority for the inspections are on identified problem areas for the city, such as areas where there is ponding during heavy storms.

As well, any pipes in an area where there will be work such as paving will be a priority, just in case there needs to be work on the pipe as well while work is being conducted.

According to Richard, this system is the only effective method of seeing what's happening in the pipes under the city. Currently, 25 km or 20 per cent of the sanitary network and 2.5 km or 5 per cent of the storm network have been inspected.

While there are contractors which do the service, Richard says that the city having their own system will be cheaper in the long run, as well as more convenient, as having the city's own staff doing the work means it's possible to get a sewer inspected immediately during an emergency.

The equipment for the inspections cost $200,000, with an additional $15,000 invested in training employee and $400,000 for a second Vac Truck to support the sewer program. $230,000 was also approved for storm sewer inspection and cleaning, with similar funding being invested into the sanitary sewer system. It's estimated that a contractor doing the same work would cost approximately $2.8 million at $15/m.

It's not certain how long it will take to fully inspect the city's sewer system, and Richard says that it will take a few years to fully inspect the city's sewers.