Yorkshire Water adds cutting-edge sewer technology to fleet

Video surveillance of a sewer system in Yorkshire.

Yorkshire Water has added new CCTV vans to its fleet, which will help its teams inspect the sewer network more effectively.

Thanks to improved CCTV technology, the vans allow teams to monitor 300 metres of the main canal and 45 metres of the side canals to the properties, allowing problems to be identified and resolved more quickly.

Yorkshire Water teams have worked with IPEK to introduce the innovative side entry cameras into the fleet. The side entry camera is attached to a tracked vehicle that can remotely transport it into a sewer and insert it into the side entry channel.

The new technology will eliminate problems accessing sewers from properties, allowing teams to carry out repairs to private systems, improve mapping of the sewer network, respond better to misconnections and provide better value for money to Yorkshire Water customers.

Thomas Ogden, Innovation Specialist at Yorkshire Water, said: “We are constantly looking for ways to improve service to our customers. There are only a handful of these cameras in the entire country and they will ensure that we can quickly diagnose and resolve problems reported by customers without having to enter the property.”

Douglas Kemp, IPEK’s General Manager for the UK, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Yorkshire Water, particularly in the innovation area of ​​our business. For many years there has been a need for a system to gain access for inspections where this has not previously been possible. Our side launch solution provides this and more, giving Yorkshire Water the ability to investigate pollution, mapping and hidden services in greater detail. We look forward to supporting Yorkshire Water in the future and providing them with further innovation in this area.”