Technology fuelled by artificial intelligence (AI) in the water sector is driving huge change. The technology enables many in the water sector to leave mundane tasks behind and focus on high-value work.
Engineering graduates and other specialists are often employed to sit in front of video screens. They watch footage from drone-mounted cameras flying through pipes to assess where pipe maintenance needs to be carried out.
The process is inefficient, mind-numbing, and a waste of valuable resources.
Fortunately, technology offers a smart alternative.
A better way to assess pipe condition
Councils and water authorities have extensive kilometres of underground pipelines for wastewater, stormwater and water.
“Many of these pipes are approaching the end of their life, and they need to be renewed,” says John Phillips, Business Development Manager at Interflow.
“Digging them up to replace them all would be extremely expensive and disrupt communities.”
Traditionally, assessing where work needs to take place involves sending a camera through the pipes and relying on an operator to analyse.
“By the time they engage a contractor, the footage is very old,” Phillips said. “Things could be completely different by the time we go to do the job.”
Faster, better, smarter AI in the water sector
Councils and authorities are now utilising a faster, more accurate solution. It’s one that also removes repetitive and low-value work and liberates engineers to concentrate on higher-value tasks.
“It categorises every individual issue found and provides an immediate, real-time report of the entire pipe network. The analysis of the condition of the pipes can now all be done by machine,” said John Weaver, Contracts Manager at Interflow.
Instead of camera footage being analysed by humans, it is interpreted by an AI engine trained on tens of thousands of hours of similar footage.
“It categorises every individual issue found and provides an immediate, real-time report of the entire pipe network,” Weaver said. “A recommended capital works program comes with the analysis, complete with anticipated costs. This means the council or water authority can work that program into their budget over the next four or five years.”
The transformative effect of AI is making condition assessment reports and asset maps faster, more objective and more consistent.
In an environment where the chase for local government talent has become very real, anything that can be done to make work more engaging and relevant is welcome.
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