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Public Works CCTV Inspection Team Receives APWA Everyday Heroes Recognition Award
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BACKGROUND:
The 2018 APWA Everyday Heroes Award acknowledges the Oregon City Public Works Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Inspection Team for outstanding achievement. This award was given based on 2017/18 work outcomes demonstrating exceptional teamwork and exceeding established team goals.
In 2007, the City of Oregon City initiated an in-house CCTV Inspection Program, complete with a new equipment van, main line inspection equipment, and eventually logging inspections into the City’s Asset Management System and Geographic Information System. During the following ten years, the staff was able to implement an inspection program focusing on troubled lines and immediate response needs. Within the first few years, the program became a challenge for existing staff to dedicate time to the CCTV program and continue to maintain their existing workload. The City’s inspection program also suffered from equipment failures.
In 2010, Oregon City hired Greg Brittle who came with a long history of CCTV operator experience as a private contractor. In 2011, the City hired Michael Pooschke as our first Asset Management Specialist to select and institute a computerized asset management system. In 2016 the City hired Patrick Armstrong (Utility Maintenance Specialist) and traded in the 2007 CCTV equipment for a new 2017 Cues CCTV system.
With a seasoned crew in place and new equipment ordered, the City's CCTV Inspection crew went to work on plans to transform the CCTV program into a new systematic inspection program to help catch up on a long backlog of pipe cleaning and inspection needs. Eric Hand (Wastewater/Stormwater Supervisor) was familiar with industry statistics for video inspection frequencies of 7-10 years. Eric and his crew established a video inspection goal for Oregon City’s 130 miles of sewer lines and 120 miles of storm lines to be completed in 7 years (Sewer; 2024) and 10 years (Storm; 2027). Even with new equipment, Eric knew it would be a challenge to meet these goals.
The Cues equipment arrived in late June 2017. By early July, the WW/STM Team were all trained up on the new equipment and they had already completed several thousand feet of line cleaning in preparation for the new TV camera. Greg Brittle, our lead operator, was ready and excited to put the new equipment to work, and the results were impressive. Over the next 12 months, the Oregon City CCTV Inspection crew inspected over 52 miles (20%) of inspection footage. Main line inspections were completed for 24.4 miles of sewer lines and 28.5 miles of storm lines. These inspection accomplishments put the City on a 5-year inspection cycle potential which would put the team ahead of the 7-10 year cycle goals they established in 2017.
The crew rated all inspections using the NASSCO CCTV Inspection Standardized certification and observation coding system. All inspections were loaded into the City’s Lucity Asset Management System. The GIS team created the linkages needed to map the data by condition.
In 2018, the City Commission also approved the acquisition of the Cues Lateral Launch System which was incorporated into our main line inspection program wherever the project needs required lateral launch. One specific project type where we launch all laterals is in our pipelines located under streets included in our Pavement Management Program. Use of this equipment assures that the City’s project management staff can evaluate the needs of both main lines and service laterals under all existing pavement restoration projects.
Greg Brittle, Eric Hand, Patrick Armstrong, Chuck Finnegan, and the rest of the CCTV Inspection Team feel great about their inspection accomplishments and have set their sights on setting a new inspection footage record for 2019. They are truly Everyday Heroes.