Smart inspection tool trial speeds up sewer network repairs

Yorkshire Water is trialling smarter sewer inspection technology to increase collaboration across its teams and ensure sewer problems are fixed quickly and efficiently.

The company has implemented WinCan Web, a cloud-based platform, that allows its technicians to share video, images and information with colleagues and senior engineers based elsewhere.

CCTV footage and images taken underground can be uploaded and accessed remotely by teams on site, at home or in the office, allowing input from more people to ensure an issue is solved while teams are visiting a customer's home.

Nathan Clayton, a technical specialist at Yorkshire Water, said: “Customers contacting us about sewer blockages want their problem fixed quickly and rely on us to get to the root of the problem.

“This technology allows our teams to share images and information with in-house specialists to use their expertise to identify the problem and find a solution, whether that be a blockage, a collapsed sewer or an issue in a difficult to access section of our network.

“By sharing information quickly across our specialist teams we’re able to work together to get the best result for our customers first time around, improving efficiency and reducing the impact on customers.”

The technology will also be used by Yorkshire Water’s network protection teams to show customers how blockages have been caused and help them understand ways to avoid similar incidents in the future.

Paul Woodhouse, WinCan Europe managing director, said: “We are delighted to assist our partner Yorkshire Water in its drive for first time resolution. Clarity of data delivered business-wide instantly from site will allow decisions to be made faster than ever before.

“The WinCan WEB portal allows all this from a simple interface that fits from senior water company engineer to domestic householder. As the saying goes ‘a picture (or Data & Video) speak a thousand words’.”