Rescuing Video Pipe Inspection Equipment is Just One of the Ways the Company’s Project Managers Go Above & Beyond for Customers
Most of the time, sewer inspections go off without a hitch. Occasionally, an incident occurs where it becomes impossible to retract the sewer scope CCTV camera. This happened recently in a residential neighborhood in Littleton, Colorado when a crawler got stuck in a storm line. GPRS was called to locate the camera and deliver a solution.
“A maintenance worker for Jefferson County called GPRS because they had gotten their sewer inspection crawler stuck in a line,” said Conner Sorensen, GPRS Video Pipe Inspection Project Manager, who is based in Denver, Colorado.
According to Sorensen, there are a few options for removing a CCTV camera that has broken down inside a sewer pipe. One could involve recovering the camera by excavation, but digging it up could be costly to repair and could damage the CCTV camera.
The best solution was to call GPRS for help.
GPRS Video Pipe Inspection Project Managers are equipped with powerful tools to conduct non-destructive assessments and identify sewer problems efficiently.
“My truck is equipped with a wide variety of sewer inspection equipment and technology. When I arrived on site, I had the right equipment to inspect the line and pinpoint the crawler, plus deliver screenshots and live video footage,” said Sorensen.
Sorensen discovered that the crawler had flipped over when taking a turn from one pipe segment to the next.
Using the Envirosight ROVVER X robotic crawler, Sorensen was able to identify exactly where the crawler was stuck. Sorensen utilized electromagnetic (EM) utility locating in conjunction with the robotic crawler to confirm the location. By tracking the battery sonde located at the top of the crawler, he could mark its' location on the surface.
He discovered that the flipped crawler was stuck between two pipe segments that met near a manhole. He was able to locate the manhole lid with a magnetometer, a challenging task because the manhole had been buried underground in a backyard. Sorensen was able to locate the manhole lid, dig down, then open it up to retrieve the crawler.
“After seeing how great our setup and equipment was, this client said they would like to start using GPRS for future video pipe inspection projects,” said Sorensen.
Equipment Used on Site
GPRS deploys a wide range of equipment to inspect and document sewer systems, laterals and drains, without costly excavation. GPRS used the following equipment to locate the broken-down crawler:
Robotic CCTV Crawler
GPRS’ Envirosight ROVVER X robotic crawlers can inspect large pipes in diameters ranging from 6 to 96 inches. These rugged, adaptable tools provide the most accurate views of pipeline conditions and their exact locations, identifying leaks or other structural deficiencies before they become a serious issue. The crawler can provide 360° live video & screenshots of sewer lines up to 1,000 ft. from the access point. The entire process is video recorded and presented to the client, so they know what issues were located and where.
Electromagnetic (EM) Locating
GPRS Project Managers use electromagnetic (EM) pipe and cable locaters to find underground utilities. These locators use a transmitter to emit a specific frequency that a receiver then detects to determine the precise location of the underground utility. A rodder is used in tandem with the EM locator to detect non-metallic pipes, with a signal transmitter energizing the rodder so that it can be picked up by the locator. The Vivax-Metrotech Vloc3 PRO Utility Locator is GPRS’ EM locator of choice.
Magnetometer
Magnetometers measure magnetic forces, which allow them to accurately detect magnetic fields created by ferrous, metallic objects buried underground. GPRS typically uses magnetometers to locate isolated, metallic utilities such as underground storage tanks (USTs), valves, manholes, and well heads.
Sonde
A battery-operated sonde can be built into the robotic crawler, lateral launch, and push cameras, to provide rough estimates of pipe length and depth up to 30-40 ft. They also allow our Project Managers to identify the location of underground utilities from an inaccessible location. They can be independently deployed for locates in non-metallic pipes by tracking the transmitter via EM technology such as the Vivax-Metrotech Vloc3 PRO Utility Locator.
Why Choose GPRS: The GPRS Difference
Video pipe inspection services allow a pipe to be inspected with remote, non-destructive equipment and technology. Excavating, aka daylighting or potholing to check lines to locate a blockage, crack, or leak can cost a lot of time and money.
GPRS has a team of NASSCO-certified professional Video Pipe Inspection experts, equipped with industry-leading cameras, ready to deploy and crawl your sewer system, including underground water, sewer, and lateral pipelines.
In addition to locating obstructions in the sewer line, GPRS VPI Project Managers can locate clogs, investigate cross bores, find structural faults and damages, and conduct lateral sewer line inspections.
Sewer problems can quickly be visualized and documented with NASSCO-certified inspection reports containing screenshots and video files of the interior condition of pipe segments.
When you partner with GPRS, the data we collect is instantly uploaded to SiteMap®, a cloud-based software platform that stores WinCan sewer inspection reports, PDFs, and any other visualization data the company provides for its customers in an easy-to-use interface for project planning and collaboration.
For video pipe inspection services in Littleton, Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Salt Lake City, and the surrounding area, contact GPRS today.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Video Pipe Inspection?
Video Pipe Inspection (CCTV) is a sewer inspection service using industry-leading video cameras to prevent problems by inspecting underground water, sewer lines and lateral pipelines. Video pipe inspection or VPI is a safe and non-destructive method to locate utilities, obstructions, leaks, and cracks. VPI is effective because it allows for a pipe to be inspected with CCTV crawlers. Excavating and checking lines to locate a blockage, a crack, or a leak can cost a lot of time and money.
What is a CCTV Push Camera?
Push cameras are a great tool for situations where pipes or sewers being inspected are too small for the robotic crawler CCTV. A push camera can be manually fed into a pipe, and can twist, turn, and move through the pipe with ease. A push camera can be equipped with a locatable sonde for accurate mapping and real-time video recording for an instant diagnosis and easy playback. Push cameras allow you to detect sewer problems and leaks quickly and accurately.
What is NASSCO Certification?
NASSCO’s Pipeline Assessment Certification Program (PACP™) allows field workers to use a common language to classify conditions and record their level of severity. These results are then used to determine the best course of action to maintain or rehabilitate a compromised pipe, or section of pipe.
What is SiteMap?
SiteMap®, powered by GPRS, is an industry-leading infrastructure management software. It is a single source of truth, housing the 99.8%+ accurate utility locating, concrete scanning, video pipe inspection, leak detection, and 3D laser scanning data our Project Managers collect on your job site. Clients receive a complimentary SiteMap® Personal Subscription when GPRS performs services on your job site.
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