Surveys

All services are delivered by highly skilled engineers using the latest technology, with outputs being substantiated with detailed reports.

With whichever survey is delivered our experienced survey teams record detailed structural and dimensional data about your key sewer assets. This often involved confined space entry to ensure the data is complete and accurate. They save this data on a hard copy survey card or the latest mobile devices.

Our team of engineers are experienced in InfoNet to log the data and produce a digital network model. They can produce AutoCAD drawings, making it much easier to interpret and explain.

CCTV Sewer / Drainage Surveys

What are CCTV drain surveys?

A CCTV survey involves a camera on a robotic rig entering the drainage system to look for damage or the cause of obstructions. Our engineers use CCTV to understand site before they get to work on them. It helps them to identify structural and serviceability problems, informing their decisions about repairs and other remedial action. They have become standard procedure for a range of drainage maintenance tasks like:

• CIPP lining
• robotic, high pressure water jet cutting
• flow and effluent monitoring
• GIS mapping and network studies
• top hat repair

CCTV is useful for identifying structural issues like:

• open or displaced joints
• cracks
• fractures
• breaks
• deformations
• collapses

And service issues like:

• root ingress
• scale build up
• encrustation
• debris
• obstructions

Geographical Information System (GIS) and mapping network studies

GIS mapping and other network-wide studies are essential to understanding the vulnerabilities within your sewer and drainage networks. Trust the experts with 30 years of experience in this specialised field.

What are GIS mapping and network studies?

A GIS is software that maps and analyses a landscape – both above and below ground. It combines database query tools, statistical analysis and visualisation to create searchable maps which can be used to model a variety of scenarios. It collects, relates and displays fine-grained information about an area – a powerful tool for informing design and maintenance decisions. It is an essential part of modern sewer and drainage construction and upgrades.

Other comprehensive surveys include:

• Pumping stations

We conduct a range of tests to ensure the machinery and electrical equipment in these essential assets is running smoothly. This is an essential task to ensure maximum uptime. Our technicians also conduct drop tests to measure your pumps’ operation and efficiency.

• Manhole surveys

Protect public health from falls and wastewater overflows by periodically surveying your sewerage access points. Learn more about our manhole survey and rehabilitation service

• Combined sewer overflows and outfall surveys

Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) are designed to carry rainwater runoff and sewage in the same pipe to a wastewater treatment works. These are often large and complex systems, with sections that may have been built over a century ago. Occasionally, they can contain lost or unmapped pipes and chambers. Finding all these sections – and the outfalls that may be releasing wastewater into the environment – is an essential task for effective sewer maintenance.

Manhole survey and repair

Take stock of the number and condition of the access points in your drainage and sewerage system.

What is manhole survey and repair?

Manholes are access points into the pipelines below the ground, scattered across a sewerage / drainage system. They are essential for carrying out maintenance and repairs, but they may also require rehabilitation. Damaged manholes can allow contaminants to escape into the environment and broken covers can pose a public health risk on roads and pavements. Manhole survey and repair takes stock of these important assets and systematically rehabilitates them. Such a survey is usually conducted were drainage system records are poor or missing.

Each survey and repair project requires different things, but we always start by collecting as much existing data as possible, along with photographs and video records. We consult with our client to establish a naming convention that can be applied on site and incorporated into databases. These preparations makes for more complete records and easier processing. We also establish the accuracy levels and tolerances that our client requires, and the methods for collecting the data.

Visual surveys

Our safe approach to visual surveys offers comprehensive results and lower risks.

What are visual surveys?

Visual surveys require engineers to enter the larger diameter sewer to assess its condition. This is dangerous work – sewers are confined spaces that can quickly fill with water or poisonous gases. Usual survey work is conducted by CCTV, but often the human eye is better at identifying defects than cameras. Only highly skilled confined space trained engineers should conduct visual surveys.

Our engineers start their survey, recoding the extent and condition of all pipes and chambers. They record all structural and service issues. Structural issues include:

• open or displaced joints
• cracks
• fractures
• breaks
• deformations
• collapses

Service issues include:

• root ingress
• scale build-up
• encrustation
• debris
• obstructions

Flow and effluent monitoring

Our flow and effluent monitoring surveys identify your system's hydraulic capacity and diagnoses potential damage.

What is flow and effluent monitoring?

Flow and effluent monitoring reveals the size and speed of the flows in drainage and sewerage systems, particularly focusing on peak flows following extreme weather events. We can use this information to support design decisions – The current hydraulic capacity informs the basis for future upgrades, for instance. It also helps us to understand how well the system is working and whether we need investigate for potential damage.

Our technicians ensure they have access permission from the relevant property users and owners before they start work. They secure safe chamber access and take the relevant safety precautions before entering any pipes. They install the flow monitors and data loggers, calibrate them to the specific setting, and test them to ensure they return meaningful results. When effluent sampling, they take their samples and record variables such as the temperature. These samples are then sent to an accredited laboratory for analysis.

As the results come in, we work up a report to show you how your system is working. We make recommendations for future surveys or maintenance work and provide you with the data for your records.