Portland sewer mains under the spotlight

06 September 2017

Portland’s sewerage network will come under the spotlight next week as Wannon Water begins its latest round of CCTV inspections to examine the condition of the pipes and manholes.

Asset Condition and Performance Officer Anthony Woodhouse said the project was an example of Wannon Water’s ongoing commitment to reliable service delivery.

Contractors will be inspecting around 23 kilometres of sewer mains using adjustable CCTV cameras mounted on robotic technology. 

“As sewer mains are located underground, it can be a challenge to determine what condition they are in,” Mr Woodhouse said. 

“This robotic technology allows us to look closely inside the network to see if there are any maintenance or structural issues without having to dig deep trenches to access the pipes. 

“The CCTV inspections reveal the general condition of the pipes and the exact location of any erosion, silt build-up, cracks or intruding tree roots. 

“If we detect any concerns we can then address them before they cause costly long-term asset damage or disruption to the sewerage services we provide to our customers in Portland.”

During the CCTV Inspections, pipes identified with tree roots or other problem material that might reduce the flow of sewage are cleaned with specialised jetting equipment and the material is removed from the sewer network.

The Sewer Inspection Program provides Wannon Water with valuable information to help plan future sewer renewals and proactive maintenance programs more efficiently.

The Portland work will be carried out by RSP Environmental, a company that has been working with Wannon Water for the past seven years. The latest program is expected to take around 14 weeks to complete and not cause any disruption to sewerage services.