In 2014, Esri Software Solutions (Esri) released its ArcGIS for Water Utilities CCTV Processor. In collaboration with the National Association of Sewer Service Companies (NASSCO), the free ArcGIS tool utilizes NASSCO?s Pipeline Assessment Certification Program (PACP) data and code structure for storage of condition and asset information in geographical databases, and then displays conditions on a map that can easily be used online.
?The solution was created to show that no matter how CCTV data is collected, if it conforms to PACP standards, we can turn it into layers, or maps, so anyone within a utility can access the information to make better decisions,? said Mike Miller, ArcGIS Solutions Lead for Esri?s Utility Solutions. ?CCTV is a critically important process for the health of a utility system, helping direct properly planned rehabilitation and allocation of capital. We wanted to find a way for customers to quickly unlock that information and make intelligent and informed decisions, and clearly showing CCTV data is a critical part of the process.
?Since launching the CCTV Processor solution last year, we have listened to user feedback and made some improvements to make it even easier to use. One area of improvement is symbology. The list of defects and conditions identified as a result of CCTV inspections is immense. It includes access points, brick work, broken, collapsed, cracked or fractured pipe, grout test and seal, infiltration, lining, point repair and much more. We realized that interpreting these conditions from a traditional legend was difficult, so we incorporated standard PACP color coding for defects, then matched the defects to those color codes so anyone using the tool can quickly see how it is matched to a particular type of defect or observation of a pipe.
?We have also made improvements to help show a user where a survey ends,? adds Miller. ?For example, if only 50 ft of a pipe was surveyed, but the pipe is 100 ft in length, we plot a line segment to show how much was surveyed to help people visually understand the entire pipe may not have been fully surveyed because of a break or other condition.?
Brian Hiller, project manager within the Business and Technology Services global practice of Burns & McDonnell, a Kansas City, Mo. ? based firm that provides engineering, architectural, construction, environmental and consulting services to a broad range of clients across a multitude of industries, attributes the opportunity to develop Esri?s ArcGIS tool to NASSCO?s universal standards.
?Until now, cities were collecting condition information using proprietary formats with no real consistency,? Hiller says. ?Combining the information collected in those databases was very challenging. The fact that NASSCO?s PACP has now become the industry standard made it possible for Esri to develop this tool and make it easy to use and apply across the board.?
Hiller, who supports the Water global practice of Burns & McDonnell, has seen the direct benefits of utilizing ArcGIS and the CCTV Processor solution through his work with the Kansas City Water Services Department and the city?s Overflow Control Program (OCP). Serving a population of nearly half a million people, Kansas City?s Water Services Department maintains 260 square miles of separate sewer systems and 58 square miles of combined sewer systems, some of which date back to 1863. The OCP is a commitment by the city to meet regulatory requirements to reduce overflows from combined sewer systems and prevent overflows from separate sewer systems. Reducing and preventing overflows from Kansas City?s sewer systems creates a cleaner, healthier environment for the community and improves the quality of the water that is returned to the area waterways. Burns & McDonnell is currently providing program management and engineering support for the OCP which is the largest infrastructure investment in Kansas City?s history.
Burns & McDonnell began utilizing the ArcGIS CCTV Processor in a small area to test the tool and deliver a proof of concept. With positive results, the firm is now actively working to implement the CCTV Processor system-wide. ?
?The ArcGIS CCTV Processor is an important resource for this massive and long-running project,? explained Hiller. ?Currently there is city-wide CCTV program in progress; a majority of the system will be televised over the next year by a variety of different firms. Using the ArcGIS CCTV Processor is an excellent way to share observation locations, photos and videos from different sources. We can quickly take the CCTV surveys in PACP format and generate GIS features which we can share with various stakeholders doing work in a particular project area. ArcGIS allows us to make the information available through an online web application so users can securely log onto a website, view their project area and see the CCTV information clearly displayed on a map.?
Prior to the ArcGIS CCTV Processor, extensive technical knowledge was required in order to develop similar tools. The ArcGIS CCTV Processor helps make the process of sharing valuable CCTV survey information available to a much wider audience, which will improve underground infrastructure overall.
Joan Stone, NASSCO?s past president of the Board, past-chairperson of NASSCO?s Software Vendor Committee and President of Pipelogix, Inc., says NASSCO?s collaboration with Esri helps to spread PACP standards via the largest Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software in the world.
?Data for the assessment of underground pipes is now available to municipal GIS workers so they have the right codes readily attainable from the beginning of each project?s assessment,? says Stone. ?This helps ensure that underground rehabilitation projects are successfully completed, which will ultimately support NASSCO?s mission to set standards for the assessment and rehabilitation of underground infrastructure and to ensure the continued acceptance and growth of trenchless technologies.?
Esri?s CCTV Processor solution is a free tool, easily downloaded with a user-friendly interface. Appropriate for people of various skill levels, ArcGIS is designed to be clearly viewed and understood by all users. To learn more and download the ArcGIS tool, visit http://solutions.arcgis.com/utilities.
Sheila Joy is president of New Phase Marketing, Inc.
