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Clean & Green
A project involving CCTV inspection, cleaning and debris removal helps a Southwest water & sewer
district comply with new geographic zoning, pollution control initiatives and create a dynamic
database of information to improve its ability to manage assets. By Suzan Marie Chin
In 2005, the Texas Commission on Environmental
Quality amended its zoning in the region of San
Antonio, Texas, known as the Edward Aquifer Recharge
Zone (EARZ). These zoning changes would impact a number
of areas that would now be designated as subject to
regulation under the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program,
a water pollution abatement program designed to reduce
or eliminate pollution caused by but not limited to construction-related
activity.
Activities such as construction of buildings, utility stations,
roads, highways, railroads, clearing, excavation or any
other activities that alter or disturb the topographic, geologic
or existing recharge characteristics of a site that may
pose a potential for contaminating the Edwards Aquifer and
hydrologically connected surface streams, would now
require specific applications and approval process.
With the change in the zoning and pollution abatement
regulations, the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) realized
a good portion of its existing GIS information would need
to be updated and that the construction of the sanitary
lines in developments recently built in this area could have
an impact on the EARZ per the protection program.
Although SAWS has its own maintenance crews to perform
routine PM CCTV and cleaning, to bring all of the GIS data up
to date, as well as inspect and clean the assets in the rezoned
areas, would require the help of outside contracting firms.
The scope of work for the project was broken into four
packages, with a phased approach that encompassed
300,000 to 500,000 ft of small-diameter sanitary sewer
pipe. All lines were to be CCTV-inspected, cleaned using
high-pressure jetting, debris removed, associated manholes
inspected and GPS coordinates gathered, including pipe
length and location. A minimum daily quota of 1,150 ft was
required by each contractor.
QPS LLC of Denver was awarded two of the four packages
to be completed in 2010 and 2011. QPS-Underground
Infrastructure Specialists is a leading water and wastewater
infrastructure contractor serving municipalities, water districts
and general contractors throughout the western
United States. QPS provides a full range of infrastructure
services, including recurring inspection and maintenance
programs; pipe and manhole repair; trenchless technologies;
data/asset management and traditional infrastructure
installation and replacement.
52 TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGY February 2011 www.trenchlessonline.com