In recent years, the city of Tigard, Oregon, has seen major and consistent population growth. Between April 2010 and April 2020, the city’s population grew 15.2%, from approximately 48,000 citizens to over 55,000. And with an annual population growth rate of 2.67% in 2017 alone, the city has had to reassess how it manages its sewer maintenance operations to keep up with the increase in demand.
Tigard’s sewer system is completely gravity-dependent, meaning that it has no pump stations or pressurized components. By 2016, the city’s wastewater and stormwater division — which manages over 890,000 feet of sewer pipe and 693,000 feet of stormwater pipe — was in dire need of more versatile inspection equipment that could offer faster, more efficient assessments.
More Productive Equipment
The department wanted a more compact and steerable camera that could efficiently navigate the city’s older storm and sewer systems. In 2016, the division invested in a ROVVER X main line crawler. The system performed so well that they purchased a second crawler in early 2019.
ROVVER X’s agile design can adapt to any inspection challenge. And with quick-change wheels and easy in-field repairs, the crawler system enables users to complete more sections, gather more detail and be more productive.
The equipment has proven to be a great asset for the city’s wastewater and stormwater systems. According to Rob Block, the city’s wastewater and stormwater operations supervisor, the department’s ROVVER X crawlers have increased productivity “by about 20% to 25%. We have been able to inspect about 95-plus percent of our storm system which a lot of was previously out of compliance due to [us] being unable to inspect.”
Operator buy-in
“The crew that runs the equipment — they liked the Envirosight product the best,” says Block. “Part of that was how light it is, how maneuverable it is, the ability with that particular product to basically take the reel, disconnect it from the truck, and pack it out into the woods if you need to.”
The operator training opportunities available for crew members are another advantage of the equipment for the 20-year veteran of the department. The close proximity of True North, Envirosight’s exclusive sales partner in Oregon, also helped in the decision-making process.
“This camera can get into spots that other cameras can’t, and it can traverse around obstacles,” Block says. “It’s quite amazing when the operators get good at it, what the cameras can do.”
With more than 4,000 systems in service around the world, ROVVER X is a solid choice for sewer inspection pros who want to work smarter, not harder. And because ROVVER X is built on a powerful digital backbone, users can add side-scanning, laser profiling and lateral launch; view status from onboard sensors; automate tasks with macros; and measure defects on-screen. And future capabilities are limitless — ROVVER X’s firmware updates automatically to the latest features and accessory support. ROVVER X offers remarkable capability and uptime, so you can do more, wherever the job takes you.
Envirosight designs equipment to serve the needs of municipalities, contractors, departments of transportation and civil/environmental engineers. Envirosight is a full-service manufacturer of robotic sewer inspection crawlers, zoom cameras, push cameras, inspection reporting and asset management software, and inspection vehicles. Envirosight is committed to ongoing innovation, delivering products that enhance user productivity and inspection detail. Envirosight serves customers through a trained network of regional sales partners who deliver localized support and expertise with rapid turnaround.
866-227-9845 | www.envirosight.com
