By Jenny Eamer, South West Water’s Waste Water Operations Manager.

At South West Water we have thousands of miles of sewers to manage and we are constantly working to improve and maintain the region’s wastewater network. One of the key tools helping us with this is advanced camera technology.

Using CCTV cameras helps us to monitor the pipes that serve our customers and communities, and to make improvements to those that need it so we can do everything possible to provide a reliable service and protect our local environments.

To give you an idea of scale, our sewer network spans over 14,000 miles – that’s the equivalent of travelling from Exeter to Singapore, and back. These pipes are essential for transporting wastewater from homes and businesses to our 655 treatment facilities across the region. Naturally, over time, these pipes can be exposed to blockages and wear, which is why regular monitoring is so important.

This is where our use of cameras comes in. These high-tech devices allow us to inspect the inside of sewer pipes, often without the need for costly and disruptive excavations. On smaller pipes a camera is normally attached to a snake-like rod which is controlled by an operator, and for larger mains they are mounted onto a remote-controlled vehicle. For our biggest pipes we have even used drones to carry out surveys.

The footage is then reviewed by our engineers, helping us to detect issues such as cracks, blockages and other signs of deterioration before they cause further problems.

With so many miles of sewer to manage, it is unfortunately inevitable that some pipes will have issues before we can find them, as we saw with the recent burst at Maer Road in Exmouth. Here, we’re using CCTV to not only assess the damaged part of pipe but to survey both upstream and downstream of the burst to identify any other issues with the pipe which may need attention before we fix the existing damage and bring the pipe back into operation.

Using this technology is part of our efforts to ensure the long-term health of our sewer system. By staying on top of maintenance, we’re able to reduce the risk of any issues that could affect our operations and the knock-on impact that has on our customers and local communities.

As always, we are encouraging everyone to do their part in helping keep the sewers flowing by only flushing the 3Ps – pee, poo, and paper – and by not disposing of fats, oils, and grease down your drains, as these materials all combine inside our sewers and can lead to blockages and bursts. Together, we can work to ensure we have a resilient network which is fit for the future.