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Community Corner

Sewer Lateral Camera Purchase

Small camera requested

Article Source: City of San Bruno CA

City Council Agenda Item Staff Report

Rico E. Medina, Mayor

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Laura Davis, Vice Mayor

Marty Medina, Councilmember

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Irene O'Connell, Councilmember

Michael Salazar, Councilmember

DATE: January 9, 2018

TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council

FROM: Jimmy Tan, Public Works Director/City Engineer

SUBJECT: Adopt Resolution Authorizing Purchase of One Sewer Lateral Push Camera from Envirosight in the Amount of $27,291

BACKGROUND:

Video inspections using closed circuit television (CCTV) is a best management practice to operate a sewer collection system. The Public Works Department (Department) currently operates two types of sewer inspection cameras depending on the pipeline diameter. One is a remote-operated camera mounted on a small tractor to inspect larger sewer main pipes and the other is a push camera used in smaller diameter pipes. Both types of camera are used daily to perform scheduled maintenance inspections and investigate emergency situations. One of the City's two push cameras is approaching the end of its expected life span and is recommended to be replaced.

The 2016-17 Wastewater Operating Budget includes funding for one sewer lateral push camera.

DISCUSSION:

Lateral push cameras are a self-contained units that are manually pushed into lateral pipes. These pipes often have broken internal surfaces and constantly rub against silt and debris. Push cameras need to be replaced every six to seven years. The camera included for replacement in the budget is six to seven years old. The Department always keeps the older model in reserve as a backup due to cameras needing repair from time to time. The proposed push camera replacement will be put into daily service and the second, older camera will serve as an emergency backup.

San Bruno is a somewhat unique city, as only one of four Bay Area cities with very small, five-inch sewer mains. These smaller diameter sewer mains are some of the oldest in the City and are located in the "Avenues" neighborhood. Currently there are no sewer main cameras on the market that can enter five-inch diameter sewer mains. Crews have had to use the existing lateral push camera in an effort to inspect the five-inch mains. New advancements in push camera technology and engineering allowing them to work better in smaller and larger pipes. The proposed push camera has a "pan and tilt" ability, which can be used to view all angles of any pipe diameter. This is especially needed in the five-inch sewer mains which are usually filled half diameter with flow, and obstruct the existing push camera view. The "pan and tilt" aspect of the proposed camera would enable crews to move the camera out of the obstructed flow and better see the inside of pipes. Older cameras have a fixed mounted camera that cannot adjust its viewing height to see over pipes obstructions.

The proposed replacement push camera and its updated technology would also have the ability to store recorded video into the same database used for inspection videos from the City's CCTV inspection truck. This consolidated file system would improve and better organize the usability of historical information. The current push camera does not have that ability and inspection videos are stored and managed separately. .

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Working through HGAC, the City selected a sewer lateral push camera from Envirosight of Radolf New Jersey, with a regional distributer located in Walnut Creek, California Envirosight provides the only lateral camera with a pan and tilt ability and their equipment can be used with the City's existing video storage software.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The $27,291 sewer lateral push camera cost is within the allocated $30,000 included. in the 2016-17 Wastewater Operating Budget. The cost includes all sales taxes and delivery fees.

ALTERNATIVES:

1. Delay purchase of this sewer lateral push camera to a future year.

RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt resolution authorizing purchase of one sewer lateral push camera from Envriosight in the amount of $27,291.

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FULL Council Agenda Packet WITH Staff Reports can be viewed and downloaded from:

https://sanbruno.ca.gov/gov/elected_officials/city_council_minutes_n_agendas.htm

This document should be available late Friday before the Tuesday Council Meeting

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Robert Riechel

E=Mail: SanBrunoPatch.Robert@Yahoo.com

WEB: http://SanBrunoPatch.com

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