introduction
Tucked away in the heart of Alabama, Alexander City is home to an extensive sewer network that stretches over 150 miles through hilly terrain. Despite extensive infrastructure, the city's path to efficient wastewater system management was not without hurdles. It wasn't long ago that the city was struggling with outdated methods, relying on employees' personal memories to find the locations of sewer lines and initially using a camera without accompanying software. This approach was far from efficient, especially given the city's responsibility for Lake Martin, Alabama's largest treasure lake, where treated wastewater is discharged.
Holistic wastewater management is important to Alexander City, especially since treated wastewater is discharged into Lake Martin.
The challenge
The process of modernizing Alexander City's sewer system maintenance program has humble beginnings. A comprehensive system was not yet in place due to the lack of a dynamic, software-based mapping system. Instead, experienced personnel had to rely on their memory, which hindered efficient wastewater management. To overcome these challenges, Alexander City decided to use GPS to map the entire wastewater system and created a comprehensive Esri Geographic Information System (GIS) map of the buried facilities. Although this was a significant step in the right direction, the city's pipe inspection data was disorganized and riddled with inconsistencies and errors. Additionally, when an inspection discovered a problem, the follow-up process was complicated and necessary maintenance was often overlooked.
The partner
After considering several options, Alexander City chose ITpipes as the best solution to improve the city's wastewater management capabilities. ITpipes provides software inspection solutions for water and wastewater utilities that help effectively collect, analyze, manage and integrate pipeline inspection data in a fully integrated Esri solution. The company is an Esri partner and has Esri ArcGIS System Ready certification. The pipeline inspection software is listed on the ArcGIS Marketplace.
The solution
ITpipes not only provided the city with easy-to-use pipe inspection software interfaces, but also robust ArcGIS mapping tools that allowed the city to visualize pipeline analysis and gain instant access to comprehensive pipe inspection data. With ITpipes, pipeline videos and condition assessment information were available with a single click. Key components such as ITpipes Mobile, ITpipes Web and ITpipes Sync have been implemented to provide detailed visibility and control over the city's underground infrastructure.
City employees review sewer pipe inspection results using ITpipes software.
The new system was simple and user-friendly for city employees. At the beginning, the supervisor in the office assigned the pipes to be tested. These assigned inspections would then be automatically synchronized with the field inspection CCTV vehicle. On-site pipe inspection teams were able to benefit significantly from integrating mapping with plant data. ITpipes software enabled direct import of asset information from the GIS, which automatically populated asset header data during each inspection. The interface was simple and allowed teams to efficiently inspect and log plumbing and storm sewer deficiencies throughout the day. Back in the office, teams' data was automatically synced to ITpipes Web via their connected devices to ensure no inspection data was lost. Office staff could then instantly access the latest pipe inspection videos and reports integrated with Esri web maps through a specially configured Esri web application.
The results
The integration of ITpipes software with Esri GIS technology had a significant impact on the management of Alexander City's wastewater system. Before integration, the city experienced up to 100 floods annually. However, through access to geospatial data on pipe condition, proactive maintenance strategies were implemented, resulting in a reduction in overflows to single digits per year. Routine maintenance has become more efficient, allowing the city to comprehensively inspect its entire system every two years. The user-friendly ITpipes software has made it easy for city employees to learn how to conduct inspections. This efficiency has also allowed the city to effectively prioritize sewer lining projects and leverage ITpipes' web data to create annual lining contracts.
Diploma
Alexander City's successful partnership with ITpipes and Esri is a great example of how integrated technology solutions can drive significant change in municipal infrastructure management. The city's journey from manual, storage-based methods to a sophisticated, GIS-driven wastewater management system highlights the transformative power of technology. As Alexander City continues to refine its processes and further integrate with Cityworks, its story will become a compelling case study for municipalities across the country seeking to improve their infrastructure management practices through technology.
“Our partnership with ITpipes and Esri has changed the game. The improved accuracy and accessibility of data have enabled us to implement effective maintenance strategies, resulting in a proud reduction in sewage overflows and more efficient use of resources.” — Danny Jo Pike, CCTV Inspection Manager, Alexander City
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About the author
Esri water
Esri's water team focuses on everything water-related: water utilities (water distribution, wastewater, stormwater), water resources, and everything in between. The team collaborates with colleagues at Esri (solutions, professional services, products and more) to provide the best support to our customers and partners.
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