A central source for insights, tools, and updates on acoustic sewer inspection technology, wastewater infrastructure assessment, and cost-effective solutions for municipal inspection services and collection system optimization.
Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority manages over 1,100 miles of sewer infrastructure and previously used a time-based approach for pipe cleaning, which involved annually servicing 40% of small diameter pipes.
Despite its advanced cleaning program, Little Rock experienced overflows in areas not covered by the schedule and invested resources cleaning pipes that didn’t need it.
The utility launched its acoustic inspection program in 2017. Using the SL-RAT, crews screened the entire system and focused cleaning and CCTV work on the 20% of lines that scored poorly.
The shift to condition-based maintenance led to a 64% reduction in sanitary sewer overflows. Little Rock also cleaned 32% fewer feet of pipe while removing 116% more debris, proving the effectiveness of the new approach without requiring additional personnel.
A condition-based cleaning strategy has added meaning to the operators’ daily tasks.
