When should sewer monitoring be undertaken?

Do you have a problem with a defective pipe and want to know the cause? Inspect the sewer. Learn about the methods and benefits of sewer inspection.

Sewer monitoring – the benefits, methods, and cameras involved

What is the most efficient method for inspecting long pipes? How can you quickly detect sewer defects and find a repair solution? Learn the benefits of sewer monitoring, which will help you to easily identify the problem. When should sewer inspection be used, and how is it done?

Sewer monitoring serves to determine the current condition and tightness of piping. It is suitable for inspections of completed projects, approval procedures, and troubleshooting.

Sewer inspection can prevent the adverse effects of sewer damage, which include pipe blocking or collapsing.

Read about the most frequent sewer defects and possible solutions here.

Regular sewer monitoring and timely action can avoid repairs that can cost considerably more than the monitoring costs and cause damage to property due to pipe emergencies.

Progress of sewer monitoring: from cleaning to evaluation

Sewer monitoring is not simply about lowering a crawler robot with a camera into the pipe. Other operations before and after the actual inspection are required to obtain adequate results. So how do we inspect sewers?

1. Cleaning the pipe of sediments and scaling

Before any inspection, a sewer must be clean enough for sewage not to cover up any defects or issues and to ensure that the camera can pass smoothly. This is why high-pressure cleaning of the sewer is required prior to each inspection.

2. Video inspection of the pipe

We select the specific crawler model depending on the DN profile of the pipe. For larger pipe profiles, we use self-powered camera systems where the camera or robot is controlled by an operator from a vehicle fitted with control elements.

If the robot cannot be inserted into the pipe due to space constraints (small manholes, bends with deep cunettes in manholes), a portable colour monitoring device is used which is pushed into the pipe manually using the camera’s push cable.

3. Evaluation of inspection results and diagnosis

We determine the condition of the pipe through the inspection, locate defects and issues and ascertain the pipe diameter, position of service pipes, and other particulars inside the pipe.

4. Visualisation of inspection data

We organise all the data obtained from sewer monitoring and present it in an easy-to-navigate form on a CD or DVD. We print a detailed inspection record, including any service pipes and/or defects identified and indicated by means of distance (in metres) from the start manhole. The defects are photographed and included in the record in colour, along with a chart of the pipe’s longitudinal incline, ovality, and deformation (if any).

Please note: The colour code used in the pipe inspection record conforms to ČSN EN 135008-2 standard.

5. Proposed solution to eliminate sewer defects

If we identify issues and defects, we will propose a suitable repair solution. In the vast majority of cases, we recommend efficient trenchless technologies.

6. Rectifying local defects or overall rehabilitation

As specialists in trenchless pipe rehabilitation, we can provide complete renovations.

Monitoring sewers in profiles from DN 30 to DN 1,600 mm

Can the cameras actually reach everywhere during a sewer inspection? Our camera equipment can. We are equipped with IBOS – CamBoss, IBAK (Orion, Rigid) and Itv cameras. What are these cameras capable of?

Rigid inspection micro-system for narrow pipes

This micro system can monitor narrow sewer pipes from DN 30 mm over a maximum distance of 5 m. It is inserted manually using a push cable. However, videos from such an inspection cannot be recorded. This method is suitable for inspecting common household drainpipes.

IBAK Orion push-in camera for service pipe monitoring

The IBAK Orion camera is fitted with a rotating head and is used primarily for monitoring service pipes with profiles from DN 80 to DN 200 mm. Using a push string, the operator pushes the camera into a distance of up to 40 metres. This camera can tackle bends and angles in the sewer.

CamBoss, IBAK, and ltv cameras

We use these camera models with rotating heads to monitor sewers with profiles from DN 100 to DN 1,600. The cameras are fitted to sewer crawlers controlled by operators from a monitoring vehicle. In fact, the cameras can access virtually everywhere.