It’s impossible to ignore the impact that AI is having on utility management and the wastewater industry. Municipalities and contractors that have gotten their hands on the technology are already seeing returns, and while adoption may be gradual, forward-thinking decision-makers are educating themselves and their teams about where AI could fit into operation and maintenance workflows.

There are lots of opportunities for important sewer data to fall through the cracks in the journey from collection to analysis. If data is stored, transferred and shared in physical formats such as paper, it is at greater risk of loss than data stored in secure, digital environments. Digital data storage offers much more reliable containers for sewer data than physical methods. Not to mention, inspection software with NASSCO-certified coding modules helps ensure outgoing data aligns with the proper condition assessment standard. These and other factors can impact the accuracy, completeness and usability of your data.

Innovation in the wastewater industry is thriving. Sewer teams have begun to adopt technologies like AI and HD video capture to propel everyday workflows. Federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is enabling utilities across the country to address aging infrastructure. And sewer inspection teams of every size are transitioning to cloud-based data solutions that keep them connected and tracking projects more efficiently. The infrastructure world is changing fast, and 2023 is setting the stage for shifts in technology and workflow efficiency.

Good data is ready for analysis when you are. Sewers are essential infrastructure, and prompt, actionable inspection results help keep our communities safe, healthy and clean. In today’s world, that means seamless, bidirectional data transfer that keeps databases updated in real time, with results rippling throughout the system to enable data-driven maintenance decisions.

WinCan recently received the Solution Alignment Award at the 2022 Esri Infrastructure Management and GIS (IMGIS) Conference held in Palm Springs, California. The award was presented to WinCan for demonstrating innovative and creative ways to solve complex problems with Esri’s ArcGIS software. 

Condition assessment standards help sewer teams find a common, shared language to determine the health of sewer infrastructure. These standards, and the coding schemes associated with them, can differ from one region to the next. However, they all share the same goal of translating the results of sewer inspections into easily understood data to ensure operation and maintenance decisions are well-informed.

Since its launch, Sewermatics has set the standard for innovative applications of AI in the wastewater industry. Accurate, organized data is essential to sewer maintenance, and WinCan has combined digital workflows with cloud-based integrations to ensure data is always where it needs to be. Sewermatics takes that data a step further, processing and coding inspection media with unrivaled speed and efficiency. 

Artificial intelligence is only as good as the people who create it. This is true not only for the algorithm, but the inspection data that helps train it.

When disaster strikes a municipality, it can destroy decades of work on infrastructure and place communities at continued risk for years to come. With the increase in extreme weather events, municipalities need an all-encompassing emergency response plan. Environmental crises can quickly destroy a wastewater system’s integrity, resulting in dangerous conditions for surrounding roadways and homes. This also leads to costly repairs that disrupt annual maintenance requirements and inspection timelines, creating a rippling effect that can disrupt a community for years.

The wastewater industry is seeing shifts in core workflows, creating trends toward more efficient tech and more resilient infrastructure. In particular, use of artificial intelligence (AI) will continue to spread as municipalities migrate toward predominantly cloud-based workflows. But beyond technology, the United States is putting renewed effort into rehabilitating infrastructure, with more cities investing in sustainable, resilient sewer systems with the ability to adapt in the face of extreme weather.