Sewer leaks, damage, and obstructions can be hard to locate – and very frustrating.
A blocked line, cross bored sewer pipe, or root intrusion causes water loss, water seepage, and backups with exponential repair, costs, and cleanup. It’s important to know the exact problem you’re facing before spending money on excavation and repairs. You need a fast, nondestructive sewer inspection to identify the problem.
Sewer problems can quickly be visualized and documented with video pipe inspection (VPI) services and NASSCO-certified reporting. GPRS has a team of experts in sewer inspection, equipped with industry-leading cameras, ready to deploy and crawl your sewer system.
GPRS professionals use cutting-edge CCTV sewer inspection crawlers to explore underground sewer lines and lateral pipelines to pinpoint the exact location of any problem. All GPRS Project Managers are NASSCO trained and certified to locate clogs, investigate cross-bores, find structural faults and damages, and conduct lateral sewer line inspections.
GPRS Video Pipe Inspection Project Managers are equipped with powerful tools to conduct non-destructive assessments and identify sewer problems efficiently. Video pipe inspection crawlers are rugged, agile, waterproof, LED-lit, high-resolution cameras that locate and record video and images of the underground damage to sewers and laterals. When damage and obstructions are located, GPRS VPI Project Managers use a transmitter to locate the position and spray paint the exact spot on the ground level.
Clients then receive an interactive and comprehensive, NASSCO-certified report which includes video and photographs of pipe defects, geolocation of the defects, and their severity, ranked by severity from highest to lowest, so you know exactly where to start rework.
What are the Advantages of Video Pipe Inspection?
A sewer inspection can help your team pinpoint any leaks, damage, or obstructions quickly. Here are some advantages of performing video pipe inspection:
- Thorough investigation of sewer lines and lateral pipe lines
- Less expensive and less destructive than exploratory excavating
- Stop leakage before it becomes sizeable and difficult to fix
- Limits the number of potholes needed to assess the problem
- Receive detailed reports, maps, video, and images of the pipe segments
- Save labor and time by quickly and efficiently locating any defects
- Resolve emergency situations quickly
- Plan repairs knowing the location, cause, and size of the defect
- Inspect the need for future maintenance or cleaning
What Problems Can Video Pipe Inspection Services Uncover?
Video pipe inspection is a valuable tool to help determine if there’s a problem with your sewer system. Pipe inspection cameras can uncover the following problems for you:
- Pinpoint clogs, blockage, breakage, corrosion, or punctures
- Investigate cross bores
- Determine layout, grade, and depth of utility and sewer pipes
- Identify the point of tree root intrusions
- Document laterals, vaults, and termination
- See joint misalignment and seal cracks
- Expose collapsed or sagging pipes
- Identify leaks or buildup
- Verify if current conditions conform to regulations
- Detect potential weak points or future problems
- Find abandoned pipes
The GPRS DIFFERENCE
GPRS VPI Project Managers are industry-leading experts in sewer inspection services. All project managers are NASSCO certified and trained to the highest standard possible and use only the most advanced equipment to locate problems in sewer lines. When you utilize GPRS VPI services, you receive the most thorough and accurate assessment of your underground piping system available. We deploy a variety of equipment and technology to capture your sewer and pipe conditions, pinpoint defects, and deliver a comprehensive, interactive NASSCO report that may include some or all of the following, depending on your needs:
1. Lateral Inspection and Mapping
A lateral launch sewer inspection allows for a closed-circuit television (CCTV) video inspection of pipes, including main and lateral pipelines. This is a non-destructive method of viewing and collecting data from pipeline interiors that cannot easily be inspected visually. During the process, a pipe is inspected from the mainline to the lateral searching for cross bores, pipe defects, and structural issues. Interior pipe conditions and locations of defects are recorded with the CCTV. If sewer laterals are not located, crews may be unaware of utility lines, obstructions and degradation to the laterals. It is important that the issue is identified to minimizing the risk of property damage and injury.
2. Cross Bore Prevention and Mitigation
Cross bores occur when an underground utility line accidentally pierces a sewer or septic line or another underground utility during trenchless or horizontal drilling. Cross bores are unintended, yet can be very dangerous intersections of utility lines. Cross bores can cause backups in the sewer lateral and damage the structural integrity of a pipe. VPI services can identify the utility line and the point of intersection of the cross bore. It is important that the issue is identified. If a contractor or plumber attempts to use an auger to clear a gas line, it could lead to severe injuries and even death.
3. Sewer Inspections
GPRS video pipe inspection services can help discover clogs, collapses, cracks, bellies, tree roots, lateral taps, cross bores, and other damages in the sewer line. This non-destructive service locates the exact defect in the sewer line, identifying the cause and location of the issue so the contractor can quickly and accurately work on the solution.
4. Sewer Mapping
We can inspect and map sewer systems using robotic video pipe cameras, push cameras, and lateral launch cameras. You will receive a comprehensive map of your sewer system including hard to discover elements like lateral lines to assist with management, planning and maintenance.
5. Manhole Inspections
Manholes are more complex structures than typical pipes. Repairing, rehabilitating, or replacing manholes are large expenses for utility companies. GPRS Video Pipe Inspection Project Managers will gather detailed information to fully document the condition of the sewer manhole, identifying all defects and safety issues. Routine manhole inspections can minimize sewage leaks and overflows. Inspections and reporting provides your team has access to the detailed information needed to recommend corrective action.
NASSCO Training and Certification
NASSCO (National Association of Sewer Service Companies) sets industry standards for assessing, maintaining, and rehabilitating underground infrastructure. All GPRS Project Managers are NASSCO trained and certified and provide NASSCO reports for our pipe inspections. The report and inspection data can be viewed with WinCan, a cloud-based sewer inspection software. The software provides accurate data to clients to help plan maintenance, improve performance, and achieve compliance.
GPRS Project Managers participate in three separate national training programs that focus on different assessments. These include:
1. Pipeline Assessment and Certification Program (PACP)
The Pipeline Assessment and Certification Program (PACP) is a standard way of documenting pipeline features and defects during inspection. It allows professionals a method to classify, evaluate, and manage inspection data. PACP requires CCTV operators to code defects and assign a grade of 1 to 5, with 1 being the least severe and 5 being the most severe defect.
2. Lateral Assessment and Certification Program (LACP)
This program is a standardized coding protocol used by pipe inspectors when surveying lateral connections. This training addresses many fittings and access points that are unique to laterals.
3. Manhole Assessment and Certification Program (MACP)
The Manhole Assessment and Certification Program (MACP) provides training on the gathering of detailed information to fully document all defects, determine condition of the manhole, and provide the specific information needed to recommend corrective action.
The programs listed above ensure conditions are accurately assessed. These programs are just the cornerstone of NASSCO’s vision to build awareness of aging underground infrastructure. NASSCO sets out to educate the industry of this critical need by providing viable solutions. GPRS Project Managers take part in all NASSCO training and assessments so there isn’t a scenario involving sewer pipeline systems that we can’t solve.
Learn more about NASSCO Training and Certification
Video Pipe Inspection Equipment
The majority of pipe defects occur underground in buried pipe that can only be accessed by excavation or CCTV cameras via a video pipe inspection. GPRS deploys robotic crawler CCTV cameras, lateral launch cameras, and push cameras to inspect and document sewer systems, lateral and drains, without costly excavation. GPRS uses the following equipment for video pipe inspection:
1. Robotic Crawler with CCTV Camera
Robotic crawlers are powerful and rugged professional sewer camera systems. Whether you’re conducting routine pipe assessments or an emergency call-out, robotic crawlers accurately capture every detail inside sewer lines. They are capable of inspecting sewers and pipes between 6" and 96". Your team will receive live video footage, screenshots, and detailed NASSCO certified reports with locations of pipe and sewer conditions and defects, such as cracks, infractions, and other imperfections. Robotic crawlers can accurately detect sewer issues, so you can quickly work on the solution.
2. Push Camera
GPRS VPI Project Managers are also equipped with smaller and light-weight push cameras. This is a great tool for situations where the 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 is 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.
3. Lateral Launch
The lateral launch camera allows GPRS Project Managers to inspect and map the interior conditions of lateral sewer lines and pipes from the mainline. The lateral launch crawls up to 984' into the main line and then launch 147' into lateral lines to locate cross bores, illicit flows, and structural defects. The lateral launch crawler delivers live video and detailed photos of each sewer segment pipe defect geolocated and ranked by severity from highest to lowest. The lateral launch camera detects and records damage quickly, so you can begin repairing the problem.
GPRS Video Pipe Inspection Maps, Models, and Reports
Permanent records of GPRS video pipe inspection findings are delivered via our in-house Mapping & Modeling team. NASSCO- certified interactive WinCan VPI reports provide clients the exact location, photo, video, and map of each defect, cross-referenced and tagged with a defect severity level. This allows our clients to visualize every inch of sewer pipe within their system and to create comprehensive repair and maintenance plans to repair pipe damage in the most cost-effective manner possible.
1. NASSCO Sewer Inspection Report & WinCan
GPRS offers interactive WinCan reporting to our video pipe inspection clients. Maintaining sewers starts with understanding sewer conditions, and WinCan software allows clients to easily view and analyze detailed NASSCO-compliant inspection data.
2. Detailed Maps & Locations
GPRS Project Managers not only inspect the interior conditions of sewer pipes, sewer laterals, and manholes – they can provide a map of their location. The GPRS Mapping & Modeling Team can provide detailed GPS overlays and CAD files. Access to accurate data will identify the issue, allow teams to communicate on the solution, and mitigate future risks.
3. Video Inspection Files
Our detailed WinCan/Nassco reports contain screen shots of the interior condition of the pipe segments that we inspect. Our Project Managers will also provide a video file of the complete inspection for further evaluation, documentation, or reference. Maintaining sewers starts with understanding asset conditions, and these reports allow clients to share inspection data to remedy the issue.
Why Call GPRS?
Sewer problems can be very frustrating, especially when you cannot see what is causing the problem. You need an experienced company to quickly and accurately identify the exact location and damage to the sewer line so you can repair the issue.
Our elite team of VPI Project Managers is required to complete an extensive training program before performing field services at your jobsite. We are experts in diagnosing critical sewer line problems. We deploy a variety of equipment and technology to capture your system condition, pinpoint defects, and deliver a comprehensive report following NASSCO guidelines. We provide photographs and video of defects in our VPI report and rank defect conditions by severity, so you can plan maintenance and repairs, saving time and money.
“Sewer inspection reports allow our clients to review and share vital information about a system’s condition and functionality, allowing them to assess risks and develop a maintenance plan,” says Andy Jurski, Senior VPI Project Manager at GPRS.
Call GPRS Video Pipe Inspection Services today to assess and map the interior conditions of your sewer lines. How can we help you?