Software | IT

After a series of improvements to its business practices and technology, the West Valley Sanitation District (WVSD) of Santa Clara County, Calif., saw an 85 percent jump in annual productivity and nearly a 10 percent cost reduction for its sanitary sewer line cleaning and maintenance program. The key to these results was the agency’s deployment of specialized software along with improvement in the business systems that tie all agency departments together. These systems put comprehensive information at the staff’s fingertips and created a platform for changing the way the district approached its day-to-day operations.

It’s hard enough maintaining an aging sewer system under the best of conditions. It’s harder still when the terrain is challenging and the earth itself regularly moves. Stege Sanitary District, in California’s San Francisco Bay area, must cope with a geologically active area over a part of the San Andreas Fault, source of several major earthquakes and frequent tremors. The terrain is also hilly, and access to lines for cleaning and inspection is not always easy. Still, the district has steadily reduced stoppages and overflows on its 150 miles of mains and has created a system that can withstand seismic punishment.

The City of Santa Barbara creates an exemplary sewer maintenance program by putting the latest tools in the hands of an empowered and highly capable staff...The Wastewater Section of the City’s Water Resources Division sets high goals for itself: clean at least 200 miles of sewer lines per year, CCTV inspect some 35 miles per year, and replace or rehabilitate about 32,000 feet of pipe per year as part of an annual capital improvement program.

A historic Atlanta suburb combines the right mix of vehicles, equipment and software to maximize inspection efficiency and hold down costs...

The San Jose water utility combines regular valve maintenance with collection of GPS data that supports long-term strategic objectives...Until recently, the division had limited tools to keep system maps current or to track changes made to the infrastructure. As a result, maintenance crews spent excessive time trying to locate specific components in the field. That was frustrating, especially in emergencies when an asset had to be pinpointed quickly. All that is changing. By incorporating GPS technology, GIS mapping and data collection with its scheduled valve maintenance program, the San José Municipal Water System (MuniWater) is creating a solution that will make maintenance more efficient, enable quick location of all assets, support hydraulic modeling and assist future capital expenditure planning.

Tt’s an understatement to say the City of Long Beach Water Department is passionate about Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The department, responsible for the potable water and reclaimed water distribution and wastewater collection for a California city of 493,000, has incorporated GIS and methods that go well beyond the technology’s original purpose. The department has created a dynamic, organization-wide system that helps the staff manage day-to-day maintenance, scheduling, long-range capital improvement planning, and the tracking of all assets’ health and performance.

The City of Fuller ton, Calif., turns information into gold with a GIS that supports efficient sewer cleaning, effective scheduling, and wise capital investment.

Dublin, Ohio, and Lee’s Summit, Mo., are two very different cities — the latter more than twice as large. Yet both apply the same basic technologies to inspect and manage their critical underground infrastructure.

An EPA mandate forces a Rhode Island community to examine sewer operations and discover hidden weaknesses and valuable strengths

Highly skilled CCTV inspection operators are critical to a successful pipeline repair and rehabilitation program. Submitted by: Jim Aanderud, Innerline Engineering

Hirsch & Company and two inspection contractors survey 50 miles of sewers in remote canyons around the City of San Diego. Submitted by: Jim Aanderud, Innerline Engineering