The ROVVER X SAT II lateral launch crawler from Envirosight allows the Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority to traverse steep pipe inclines with ease, which previously posed challenges for the team in its inspection, maintenance and rehab planning efforts.
“We are constantly trying to climb hills with our equipment, which we used to find difficult,” says Jason Auge, CCTV specialist and 13-year-veteran at the authority. “Since purchasing the SAT II systems, we are doing it effortlessly.”
The authority is responsible for the entire city of Pittsburgh’s sewer system, roughly 12,000 miles of mostly combined sanitary and storm sewer lines. And there are countless slopes around the historic city.
“The biggest differences we’ve noticed with this system are the improved climbing capability and push power,” Auge says. “Eight-wheel drive instead of six and the new belt drive have made a big difference.”
Tackling unique obstacles
The authority faces several other challenges in the city’s system, including increased debris from the combined system, frequent pipe junctions and sinkholes.
“The number of lines that run junction to junction in our system is a unique challenge for us,” Auge says. “There is often no manhole to gain access, but with the lateral launch on the SAT II, we are able to drive up one sewer main and launch the camera into other mains running perpendicular.”
Operators rely on the launch camera’s pan-and-tilt capabilities to investigate defects and navigate bends. And twin sonde transmitters make the crawler and lateral launch camera locatable from street level for accurate marking and digging.
Addressing needs swiftly
The system has also proven useful in determining the source of sinkholes and resolving them faster.
“We first do dye tests on the sinkhole to determine where the issue is coming from,” Auge says. “If it’s the lateral, we confirm which home and then we launch the SAT II up their line and determine what’s broken and what they need to do to repair it. The push power going up these laterals is way better than before, so we’re addressing needs quickly.”
The SAT II’s new push drive mechanism offers increased power while minimizing wear on the push rod. And it’s designed for easy cleaning and toolless belt changes in the field.
Driving productivity
With a SAT II system in each of its three inspection vehicles, the authority has already seen improved productivity.
“There’s definitely been an increase in efficiency with the SAT II,” Auge says. “We are getting more done. It’s crawling faster and we’re getting to our problem spots quicker. The technology has improved significantly.”
Reliable support, service
A long-time Envirosight customer, the authority has relied on sales partner A&H Equipment for many years. “The team at A&H is great,” Auge says. “Anytime I need something, they’re quick to get me fixed up and answer any question. They helped us get up and running with this new equipment right away.”
And the A&H crew is pleased to see its loyal customer satisfied with the new equipment.
“Pittsburgh has some challenging sewer infrastructure,” says Perry Ohm, territory sales manager at A&H. “We knew if the new ROVVER X SAT II impressed them, it would succeed anywhere.”
ROVVER X SAT II is just one of many innovative sewer inspection solutions offered by Envirosight, which 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.
866-838-3763 | mail@envirosight.com | www.envirosight.com
