It’s no secret that US wastewater infrastructure is in desperate need of repairs. In 2021, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the country’s wastewater infrastructure a D+ rating, a reflection of frequent pipe breaks, widespread contamination risks, and rampant system inefficiencies.
Complicating the issue even further is a simple lack of manpower; many municipalities are responsible for monitoring and rehabilitating old wastewater infrastructure with limited budget and human resources that are slowed by:
While these are significant hurdles, recent AI developments can streamline inspections and maintenance, allowing municipalities to make the most of their existing budgets and teams while enhancing their wastewater infrastructure.
That’s why we built GraniteNet, a powerful inspection software platform that leverages AI to manage tasks, perform inspections, and help municipalities and utilities make informed decisions.
Watch the full webinar or use our table of contents to learn more:
AI and AI-based technologies have the potential to significantly boost your team’s capabilities and workload—provided they’re appropriately adopted and incorporated into the current workflow.
Here’s how some of the most popular technologies can benefit your team—technologies we’ve incorporated into GraniteNet at CUES:
AI mimics the problem-solving and decision-making capabilities of the human mind to analyze inspection data, then identify and code sewer defects with PACP standards.
ML is a version of AI that uses data and algorithms to imitate the way humans learn, which it then applies in reviewing historical data to improve defect detection accuracy within sewer data.
CV allows computers to draw meaningful data and insights from visual inputs like photos and videos—much a human on your team would do.
AI, ML, and CV all have the potential to transform your current capabilities. As you weave these technologies into your processes, here are some of the biggest benefits you can unlock:
AI automates the defect coding process, reducing the time and effort required for manual inspection and coding.
AI ensures standardized defect coding, eliminating variations caused by human subjectivity and improving data consistency.
AI-powered systems can handle and analyze large volumes of inspection data, facilitating efficient data integration and retrieval.
AI relies on a reference library and machine learning to continue improving its accuracy, precision, and recall.
GraniteNet provides PACP 6 and PACP 7 coding services to evaluate sanitary mainline pipelines to complete work faster, reduce time on the streets, traffic detail costs, and avoid coding quality issues.
This allows engineers to focus on larger projects, while AI manages inspection data review and identifies urgent issues.
Currently, we’re seeing utilities and contractors use CUES AI for:
AI has the potential to transform your current workforce while keeping an eye on the future. Some of its biggest benefits:
AI algorithms can automatically identify and code sewer defects to save time and reduce the risk of human error.
AI can assist in assessing the severity of issues and can prioritize maintenance efforts based on coded defects, enabling efficient resource allocation.
AI-powered systems can analyze historical defect data to identify trends and patterns, supporting proactive maintenance strategies.
Field operators can review the AI-coded inspections to better understand which PACP codes to use.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning have been instrumental to rapid improvements in Hampton, VA—the oldest continuously inhabited English-speaking city in the country. Not surprisingly, the infrastructure in Hampton is often outdated, but leadership decided to rely on the latest technologies to streamline maintenance efforts.
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Although the city can trace its roots back more than 400 years, it aimed to implement the 21st century’s best practices related to:
Hampton relied on CUES and our Defect Coding-As-A-Service (DCAAS) to automatically recognize defects using machines that have been taught to identify visible pipeline issues. These defects are wirelessly transmitted from the field to the cloud using the GraniteNet software platform, where they can be reviewed by human inspectors.
Even better, the tool’s algorithm recommends the ideal course of action based on noted observation codes and categories, creating a timeline of actionable tasks and future expenses.
Hampton has improved its sewers while slashing costs. In fact, the city has slashed its consultant expenses by 40% as it’s determined 40% of its inspected pipelines require no activity at this time.
Beyond cost savings, the Hampton team is working smarter than ever. With its Prescriptive Planning, the team now makes defensible, data-driven decisions about what to fix and when, better accounting for the city’s overall budget.
To learn more, dive deeper into GraniteNet or contact us. Our experts can ensure you have the correct software, tools, and resources necessary to tackle your wastewater infrastructure.
