CHAPTER 15 Maintenance Applications GIS can be used to prepare inspection or maintenance work orders simply by clicking on a sewer pipe or manhole. This approach simply takes just a few minutes compared to the conventional method of locating and copying maps and typing the work order forms, which usually takes several hours. Displaying sewer CCTV inspection video in GIS. The movie shows a sewer blocked by heavy root growth. 2097_C015.fm Page 307 Thursday, December 9, 2004 12:36 PM Copyright © 2005 by Taylor & Francis LEARNING OBJECTIVE The learning objective of this chapter is to understand GIS applications in inspection and maintenance of water, wastewater, and stormwater systems. MAJOR TOPICS • Field inspections • Asset management • GASB 34 applications • Wet-weather overflow management applications • CCTV inspections • Video mapping • Thematic mapping of inspection data • Work-order management • Identifying valves to be closed for repairing or replacing broken water mains • System rehabilitation and repair • Case studies LIST OF CHAPTER ACRONYMS AM/FM/GIS Automated Mapping/Facilities Management/Geographic Information System AV I Audio Video Interleaved (digital movie format) CCTV Closed-Circuit Television CD Compact Disc CMMS Computerized Maintenance Management System DVD Digital Versatile Disc GAAP Generally Accepted Accounting Principles GASB Government Accounting Standards Board HTML Hyper Text Markup Language (a file extension) MPEG Moving Picture Experts Group (digital movievideo format) O&M Operation and Maintenance PDA Personal Digital Assistant (electronic handheld information device) PDF Portable Document Format (Adobe Acrobat) ROM Read Only Memory VCR Video Cassette Recorder VHS Video Home System (video cassette format) This book focuses on the four main applications of GIS, which are mapping, monitor- ing, modeling, and maintenance and are referred to as the “4M applications.” In this chapter we will learn about the applications of the last M (maintenance). To fully appreciate the benefits of GIS-based inspections, consider the following hypothetical scenario. On March 10, 2004, following a heavy storm event, a sewer 2097_C015.fm Page 308 Thursday, December 9, 2004 12:36 PM Copyright © 2005 by Taylor & Francis customer calls the Clearwater Sewer Authority to report a minor basement flooding event without any property damage. An Authority operator immediately starts the GIS and enters the customer address. The GIS zooms to the resident property and shows all the sewers and manholes in the area. The operator queries the inspection data for a sewer segment adjacent to the customer property and finds that a mini movie of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) inspection dated July 10, 1998, is available. The operator plays the movie and sees light root growth in the segment. A query of the maintenance history for that segment shows that it has not been cleaned since April 5, 1997. This information indicates that the roots were never cleaned and have probably grown to “heavy” status. The operator highlights the sewer segment, launches the work-order module, and completes a work-order form for CCTV inspection and root removal, if necessary. The export button saves the work-order form and a map of the property and adjacent sewers in a PDF file. The operator immediately sends the PDF file by e-mail to the Authority’s sewer cleaning contractor. The entire session from the time the customer called the Authority office took about 30 min. The operator does not forget to call the customer to tell him that a work order has been issued to investigate the problem. BUNCOMBE COUNTY’S SEWER SYSTEM INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE During the 1990s, the Metropolitan Sewerage District (MSD) of Buncombe County (North Carolina) spent more than $111 million rehabilitating the most problematic sewer lines in its system. MSD’s aggressive sewer rehabilitation program has successfully implemented numerous rehabilitation technologies. In 1999, MSD began assessing a method of comprehensive basinwide rehabilitation. In this approach, every pipe in a drainage basin was evaluated using CCTV footage and engineering analysis. After evaluating this comprehensive basinwide rehabil- itation method for 4 years, MSD determined that it is overly time- and capital- intensive. Seeking a more efficient and quicker method to fix the system, MSD developed and implemented a new GIS-based rehabilitation method called “pipe rating.” The pipe rating method has five main elements: (1) CCTV information, (2) a defect scoring system, (3) GIS database software, (4) sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) history, and (5) engineering analysis. These components are combined to generate specific projects for problem lines. Each structural defect noted in the video inspection is given a defect score, in accordance with MSD’s standardized scoring system. For example, a circumferential crack is given a score of 20, and a collapsed pipe is assigned a score of 100. Defects are then embedded within the GIS database, with appropriate scores attached. Upon quantifying all structural defects within a pipe segment, three defect ratings are generated in the GIS: (1) peak defect rating, (2) mean defect rating, and (3) mean pipeline rating. These ratings allow users to visualize the severity of pipe defects using GIS. Figure 15.1 shows an ArcGIS screenshot of mean pipeline ratings. Such maps are used in prioritizing pipe segments for repair work. They are also used to determine when several point repairs should be made to 2097_C015.fm Page 309 Thursday, December 9, 2004 12:36 PM Copyright © 2005 by Taylor & Francis a line as apposed to excavating the entire line (Bradford et al., 2004). Additional information about this application is provided in Chapter 17 (Applications Sampler). ASSET MANAGEMENT As discussed in Chapter 14 (AM/FM/GIS Applications), at present our water and wastewater infrastructure, especially in the older cities, is in critical stages of deteri- oration and has started to crumble. Nationally and internationally, aging water and wastewater infrastructure is imposing enormous costs on local communities (Booth and Rogers, 2001). In the U.S., cities and utilities are demanding billions of dollars of government grants and funds for renovating their water infrastructure. Due to an “out-of-sight, out-of-mind” philosophy and the lack of funds to follow a preventive maintenance practice, the replacement is mostly performed on a react-to-crisis basis. A crisis maintenance program only corrects infrastructure problems after they have happened. Notwithstanding the conventional wisdom, this reactive approach may not be the best strategy as substantial expenditure and inconvenience can be avoided by replacing a deteriorated pipeline before it actually breaks. A preventive maintenance program is proactive because it strives to correct a problem before it occurs. For water and wastewater systems, asset management can be defined as managing infrastructure capital assets to minimize the total cost of owning and operating them while delivering the service levels customers desire (Booth and Rogers, 2001). A typical asset management system has five components (Doyle and Rose, 2001): Figure 15.1 ArcGIS screenshot of mean pipeline ratings for the Metropolitan Sewerage District (MSD) of Buncombe County, North Carolina. 2097_C015.fm Page 310 Thursday, December 9, 2004 12:36 PM Copyright © 2005 by Taylor & Francis 1. Facilities inventory: Describes each system element in an asset group. GIS can be very useful in completing this task. 2. Condition assessment: Classifies each asset according to its capability to perform the intended function. 3. Valuation: Assigns a financial value to inventoried assets consistent with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). 4. Operations, maintenance, repair, and replacement management: Arguably the heart of a management system, this component tracks and records data about work orders and customer complaints, issues and tracks preventive and predictive main- tenance schedules, and generates crew assignments and work-site maps. GIS has extensive capabilities to fulfill this part. 5. Analysis and evaluation: Considered as the brains of an asset management system, this component prioritizes work effort, analyzes cost-effectiveness, and optimizes asset performance. An asset management system helps predict the future condition of assets and major rehabilitation costs for planning purposes. An effective asset management system can reduce the cost of system operation and maintenance (O&M). Every successful maintenance program should begin with an accurate system map because it is difficult to maintain a system if the users do not know where the water or sewer lines are. A well-constructed GIS should be used to create the system map. Historical maintenance data should also be linked with the GIS because it is difficult to schedule maintenance when you do not know the last time it was done (Gaines, 2001). A GIS-based asset management system can be used as a decision support system for capital improvement planning (CIP). For example, CH2M HILL (Atlanta, Georgia) used ESRI’s MapObjects GIS software to develop an infrastructure capital asset management (ICAM) toolkit that can be used in a Web-based browser/server or stand-alone computing environment (Booth and Rogers, 2001). In many cases, through more effective planning and management of infrastruc- ture improvements and system operations, organizations can realize annual savings of 20 to 40% (Stern and Kendall, 2001). Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) has approximately 27,500 catch basins. In 2000, BWSC started enhancing its asset management program for locating, inspecting, and maintaining its catch basins. BWSC improved the productivity and efficiency of its catch basin preventive maintenance program by integrating it with GIS and a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). In lieu of using global positioning system (GPS), the crews determined the precise location of catch basins by using a measuring wheel to measure distance from known points to the basin’s center. BWSC utilized hand- held touch-screen computers in the field to collect geographic location information and more than 25 attributes. GIS data in Shapefile format and a GIS interface provided the backbone of this application. The traditional paper-based data collection methods typically averaged 24 catch basin inspections per day, but the GIS-based method boosted this rate to approximately 42 per day. Boston Water and Sewer Commission’s GIS-based field-data-collection approach increased the catch basin mapping productivity by more than 40% compared with tradi- tional, paper-based data collection methods (Lopes et al., 2002). 2097_C015.fm Page 311 Thursday, December 9, 2004 12:36 PM Copyright © 2005 by Taylor & Francis In the U.S., two key drivers are motivating improved asset management practices in water and wastewater utilities: (1) GASB 34 requirements, and (2) wet-weather overflow requirements. GASB 34 APPLICATIONS In 1999, the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) issued Rule 34 (known as GASB34) to govern financial reporting requirements of approximately 85,000 state and local governments in the U.S. Considered the most significant change in the history of government financing reporting in the U.S., GASB 34 requires the cities to adequately account for and report their capital asset inventory in a complete, accurate, and detailed manner (Booth and Rogers, 2001). The capital assets include infrastructure networks such as roads, bridges, and water, wastewater, and stormwater systems. The literature indicates that a GIS-based approach saves time spent in locating, organizing, and confirming the accuracy of field inspection information (Criss, 2000). Industry experts believe that utilities can cut their maintenance costs in half by implementing GIS-based preventive maintenance programs. Thus, integration of GIS and maintenance management software is a natural progression for GIS appli- cations in the water and wastewater industry. For instance, the Wastewater Collection Division of Fairfax County, Virginia, linked the county’s sewer maps with the sanitary sewer maintenance management system database, making it easier to access maps during field activities (Fillmore et al., 2001). The City of Denver, Colorado, linked the city’s sewer system GIS to an information management system to effi- ciently track and manage maintenance operations (Gaines, 2001). WET WEATHER OVERFLOW MANAGEMENT APPLICATIONS Management of wet weather overflows is a fertile field for GIS technology. By using geographic information in mapping, facilities management, and work order management, a wastewater system manager can develop a detailed capital improve- ment program or operations and maintenance plan for the collection system. Broken and damaged sewers, laterals, and manholes usually contribute signifi- cant amounts of wet weather inflow and infiltration (I/I) to a wastewater collection system. This contribution often results in combined sewer overflows (CSO) from combined sewer systems and sanitary sewer overflows (SSO) from sanitary sewer systems. In the U.S., CSO discharges are regulated by U.S. EPA’s National CSO Policy. The policy requires a System Inventory and Physical Characterization report. Major portions of this report can be completed using GIS. The CSO policy’s Nine Minimum Controls (NMC) mandate proper operation and regular maintenance programs for the sewer system and CSO outfalls that can also benefit from inspection and main- tenance applications of GIS. SSO discharges are being regulated by U.S. EPA’s SSO rule that requires implementation of a Capacity, Management, Operations, and 2097_C015.fm Page 312 Thursday, December 9, 2004 12:36 PM Copyright © 2005 by Taylor & Francis Maintenance (CMOM) program. CMOM requires the system owners/operators to identify and prioritize structural deficiencies and rehabilitation actions for each deficiency. CMOM requirements offer a dynamic system management framework that encourages evaluating and prioritizing efforts to identify and correct perfor- mance-limiting situations in a wastewater collection system. CMOM is a combina- tion of planning tools and physical activities that help communities optimize the performance of their sewer systems. CMOM requirements mandate that the system owner/operator properly manage, operate, and maintain, at all times, all parts of the collection system. The owner/operator must provide adequate capacity to convey base flows and peak flows for all parts of the collection system. CMOM requirements include “maintaining a map” (Davis and Prelewicz, 2001), which is the simplest application of GIS as described in Chapter 9 (Mapping Applications). Some wet weather overflow management experts believe that use of GIS is a must for CMOM compliance. AutoCAD Map GIS Application for CMOM The Stege Sanitary District (SSD) located near San Francisco Bay serves a population of approximately 40,000 in a 5.5 mi 2 area. The goal of a CMOM program is the ultimate elimination of any type of overflow from the sanitary sewer system. SSD was challenged with the goal of “no overflows” in 1996. To meet this goal, a new maintenance model was implemented for sanitary sewers that used AutoCAD Map GIS and Microsoft Access database software to identify system conditions causing overflows, and prompted immediate action to correct problems via repair or replacement. Those lines showing the greatest damage and whose repair or replacement were within the budget constraints established by the District, would be immediately set right. The ability to make effective and economic decisions regarding the capital replacement needs of the system based on the actual degradation of the system provided a degree of asset management that had not been readily available to the management. The SSD experience indicated that proactive mainte- nance provides the most cost-effective means of managing the system to achieve the goal of “no overflows.” During 1992 to 1994, SSD created the sewer and manhole layers in AutoCAD format and linked the capacity model output to these layers to identify line segments that were overloaded. Complete GIS capability was added later with the use of AutoCAD Map, an extension of the common AutoCAD drafting program that adds the feature of linking information from external databases. During 1994 to 2001, information was collected in a database on the physical system characteristics, system hydraulic performance under selected flow conditions, system overflows, routine maintenance activities, CCTV inspections, and repairs and replacements. All database information was linked to the mapped line segments, thereby allowing an easy evaluation of problem distribution throughout the system with a textual and graphical response from the database query. The relational database program used 2097_C015.fm Page 313 Thursday, December 9, 2004 12:36 PM Copyright © 2005 by Taylor & Francis was Microsoft Access, which is compatible with AutoCAD Map. All of the work was completed on a desktop PC (Rugaard, 2001). CCTV INSPECTION OF SEWERS Traditionally, municipalities have relied on analog video for internal inspection of sewers. In this technique, remote-controlled and self-propelled cameras move through sewer lines to record the pipe’s internal conditions on a video tape. In a parallel operation, technicians create paper logs identifying the location, size, and other key information about the pipe. Referred to as CCTV inspection, this method has been considered to be the most effective and economical method of pinpointing the sources of I/I contribution. For instance, by the late 1990s the City of Boston, Massachusetts, had conducted 12 million ft of CCTV inspection on video tapes. Using an inspection cost of one dollar per foot, the cost of collecting this information could be at least $12 million. CCTV inspection videotapes contain a wealth of useful information about the state of a collection system, yet they have been often treated as single-use items. A lot of money is spent on video inspections, yet inspection data are frequently underutilized mainly because accessing the information from the conventional video tapes and paper inspection log sheets has been difficult and time consuming (Criss, 2000). GIS can be used as a document management system for CCTV inspection data. For example, users can click on a rehabilitated sewer pipe to see the “before” and “after” movies on their computer screen. This application, however, requires con- verting VHS video tapes to computer files (digital movies). Once converted and stored on computers, the valuable information once hidden in videotapes can be retrieved with the click of a mouse, eliminating the need for other equipment (TV, VCR, and cables) and office space to house the equipment. CDs take up 70% less shelf space than VHS tapes. As a side benefit, digital movies can be used to create multimedia presentations for utility management when requesting maintenance and rehabilitation funds. After all, a video is worth a thousand pictures. Most video tapes have a short shelf life of approximately 10 years and their video quality and perfor- mance are inferior to digital media. Unlike VHS tapes, digital videos do not lose picture quality when copied. Digital technology also allows high-resolution snap- shots of defective pipe segments taken from the video. Dynamic segmentation and image integration features allow storage and display of these images with footage reading and a description of the pipe defect. For benefits like these, experts predict that by 2008, approximately 90% of wastewater utilities will be using digital video technology (Bufe, 2003). As stated in the preceding text, integrating CCTV videos with GIS requires migrating from video tapes to digital movies. Four migration methods are possible: 1. Convert existing video tapes to digital files 2. Digitize existing video tapes 3. Retrofit tape systems with digital systems 4. Record directly in digital format 2097_C015.fm Page 314 Thursday, December 9, 2004 12:36 PM Copyright © 2005 by Taylor & Francis Convert Existing Video Tapes to Digital Files In this method (which is the simplest), the existing video tapes are converted to multimedia computer files in the AVI or MPEG format. The hardware required for this method includes TV, VCR, multimedia computer, CD or DVD burner, and a video capture card. Video capture cards allow display of TV or VCR output on a computer screen. Some multimedia computers have built-in (internal) video capture cards. If an internal card is not installed, an external card that typically costs a few hundred dollars should be used. A video capture and editing software, which typi- cally comes with the card, is also required. Figure 15.2 shows a screenshot of Digital Video Producer, a video capture software from Asymetrix Corporation. The TV is connected to the VCR, and the VCR is connected to the video capture card (if external) or the computer (if internal) using AV cables. When a tape is played in the VCR, the user sees the video on the TV and on the computer screen. The video capture software has a VCR-like console with play, stop, and record buttons. When the user clicks on the software’s record button, usually at the beginning of a sewer defect (e.g., collapsed pipe, root growth, break-in lateral, etc.), the computer starts to record the video in a computer file, usually in AVI or MPEG format. The Figure 15.2 Screenshot of Digital Video Producer’s video capture capability. 2097_C015.fm Page 315 Thursday, December 9, 2004 12:36 PM Copyright © 2005 by Taylor & Francis file recording stops when the STOP button is clicked, usually at the end of the sewer defect. Instead of converting the entire video tape, generally 5 to 30 sec mini movies showing problem areas are captured because the resulting files can be very large. For example, a 5 to 15 sec video segment recorded in color with sound can be 30 to 60 MB in size. Sound can be turned off to reduce the file size. Finally, in order to free up the computer hard disk space, the recorded digital movies are copied to digital media (e.g., CD-ROM or DVD-ROM). Raw video files can be compressed to optimize disk space. A CD cannot store more than 15 to 30 min of uncompressed data. However, in compressed format such as MPEG-1 or MPEG-2, 1 to 1.5 h of video can be stored on a CD and 6 to 12 h on a DVD. Figure 15.3 shows a sample mini movie in AVI format showing a collapsed pipe. Digitize Existing VHS Tapes This is basically a more efficient and automatic implementation of the previous method. Special video software is used for compressing and indexing video tapes to digital media. For example, the Tape-to-CD module of flexidata pipe survey reporting software from Pearpoint, Inc. (Thousand Palms, California), uses advanced optical char- acter recognition (OCR) technology to read the footage count displayed on the monitor Figure 15.3 Sample mini movie in AVI format showing collapsed sewer pipe. 2097_C015.fm Page 316 Thursday, December 9, 2004 12:36 PM Copyright © 2005 by Taylor & Francis [...]... stakeholders Real-world examples and case studies presented in this chapter show that GIS can be used for more efficient inspection and maintenance of water, wastewater, and stormwater systems CHAPTER QUESTIONS 1 What is the “infrastructure problem,” and how can GIS help to solve this problem? 2 What is asset management, and how can GIS help in asset management of water, wastewater, and stormwater systems? ... integrate their GIS and work management Its Wastewater Module can be used for inspection and maintenance of sewer systems and for managing and recording a CCTV inspection program for sewers Cityworks Work Order modules are used to create and manage work orders for inspections and tests, and for detailed inventory for water and sewer systems The Cityworks work management solutions are based on a GIS- centric... www.pent.com www.redhensystems.com www.wincanamerica.com CHAPTER SUMMARY This chapter provided an overview of GIS applications for the fourth M of the “4M approach” in the inspection and maintenance of water, wastewater, and stormwater systems These applications include asset management and field inspections required by regulations such as GASB 34 and wet-weather overflow policies in the U.S GIS also allows... from within the GIS software These add-on programs, referred to as AM/FM /GIS software, are described in Chapter 14 (AM/FM /GIS Applications) AM/FM /GIS systems are especially useful for asset inventory, inspection and maintenance, and work management (Shamsi and Fletcher, 2000) The Cityworks (formerly Pipeworks, Azteca Systems, Sandy, Utah) AM/FM /GIS software suite includes ArcView and ArcGIS extensions,... ArcMap’s standard interface can be customized to add network analysis functions such as network tracing For example, a sample toolbar called the Utility Network Analyst (UNA) was developed by ESRI to help ArcGIS users develop custom applications (ESRI, 2002c) The UNA consists of a toolbar, a pull-down menu for saving and loading flags and barriers and setting options, a set of tools for specifying flags and. .. automatically Software extensions are available for accessing MediaMapper data in MapInfo and ArcView GIS packages THEMATIC MAPPING OF INSPECTION DATA Some applications use information from several different databases or tables For example, a smoke-testing application might require information from the manhole and customer account databases It is inefficient and cumbersome to enter the data from different... searching and printing the appropriate sewer system maps and manual completion of paper forms GIS can be used to prepare work orders simply by clicking on the desired sewer or manhole in the GIS map When the user clicks on an object, a work order inspection form is displayed that the user can fill by entering work information or by selecting predefined actions from drop-down lists The completed work-order form... action, and cost estimates for the repair of damaged structures • Develops plans for distribution to prospective contractors during the bidding process • Provides a mechanism for tracking and reporting the progress of the rehabilitation activities Copyright © 2005 by Taylor & Francis 2097_C 015. fm Page 332 Thursday, December 9, 2004 12:36 PM Figure 15. 13 SRDMS line defect and repair entry form • Expands... repair entry form The left side of this form receives input from the CCTV inspections database and automatically updates the GIS layer for pipes The right side of the form, which recommends appropriate repairs, is completed by the project engineer or manager based on individual judgment and experience Manhole and line repairs recommended by the user are added to the GIS as new layers Figure 15. 14 shows... work-order form and Copyright © 2005 by Taylor & Francis 2097_C 015. fm Page 326 Thursday, December 9, 2004 12:36 PM corresponding map area can be printed for the inspection and maintenance crews The entire process takes just a few minutes compared to the conventional method of locating and copying maps and typing the work order forms, which usually takes several hours GIS- based work-order management . used to create and manage work orders for inspections and tests, and for detailed inventory for water and sewer systems. The Cityworks work manage- ment solutions are based on a GIS- centric approach launches the work-order module, and completes a work-order form for CCTV inspection and root removal, if necessary. The export button saves the work-order form and a map of the property and adjacent. within the GIS soft- ware. These add-on programs, referred to as AM/FM /GIS software, are described in Chapter 14 (AM/FM /GIS Applications) . AM/FM /GIS systems are especially useful for asset inventory,