Improvement of urban environment through sewer network monitoring using CCTV technology

Abstract

The Colombo Municipality has recognized that the maintenance of the sewer network is an important part of upgrading the city’s urban environment. However, The Maintenance of the Colombo Municipality Sewer Network is a challenging task due rapid deterioration of the pipe system. The city sewerage system which is 100 years old has frequently experienced collapses and overflows, operation failures due to Sulphide attacks, root ingress, and infiltration to the pipe. More ever, Prior identification of the Failure location and carrying out proactive maintenance work is vital and becomes extremely difficult due to limited budgetary provisions and the lack of actionable information on the underground sewer network. Apart from that, CMC does not possess advanced asset management software to predict the pipe renewal plan. So, it was a challenge to make immediate decisions on the underground utility service's rehabilitation and quickly attend to repair work. This Thesis has presented a study for developing an asset Management framework that accurately assesses the condition of pipe segment, the status of sewer pipe, and lastly, identifies the most sustainable rehabilitation priorities of sewer network within the particular catchment. The catchment area has 40 km of sewer network has been assessed in this study, ranked according to the maximum grade of sewer lines, and identified potential risks within the sewer system. And scientifically derive pipe renewal schedules based on economic, social, and environmental aspects. The study of the pipe segments area has identified that the pipe distress is localized and randomly distributed, not depending on the age of the asset. It has been found that most of the pipe segments in the network need replacement within the next 10 years. In comparison, 63% of pipe segments require immediate action on rehabilitation within five years to prevent the failure of the pipe.18% of pipe segments require to be attended to within 5-10 years.14% of pipes require to be repaired within 10-20 years. Sound management of the underground pipe infrastructure can be achieved by paying more attention to environmental aspects than economic aspects. Every outcome of the study may be used by the municipality and other agencies handling underground pipe networks. Every outcome of the study may be used to sustain the city sewer network. It will be beneficial not only for delivering the service but also for improving the environment of the city.