Request for Proposal

To Supply Electro-Scanning

Equipment, Services, System Integration, Data Conversion, and Support

for the

Evaluation of Sewer Laterals

Introduction

Reliable information on sewer pipe condition is needed to accurately estimate the remaining service life of wastewater collection system assets. Our aging sewer pipes have not been inspected, replaced, or rehabilitated rapidly enough to prevent deterioration, resulting in frequent occurrence of sanitary system overflows, residential sewer backup, and sewer pipe failures. Consequently there is an immediate need to utilize an effective method to target the parts of the system that need immediate attention

Condition assessment is an important ongoing challenge for sewer utilities. It provides key information needed to assess the physical condition of our assets, estimate their remaining useful life, and evaluate long-term performance measures. The U.S. EPA defines condition assessment as “…the collection of data and information through direct inspection, observation, and investigation, indirect monitoring and reporting, and the analysis of the data and information to make a determination of the structural, operational and performance status of capital infrastructure assets” (U.S. EPA, 2007).

Although inspections with conventional closed-circuit television (CCTV) have been the mainstay of sanitary sewer system condition assessment for decades, other technologies are now commercially available to better identify defects in a consistent and quantifiable manner.

While CCTV has provided good visual identification of pipe features, electro scanning technology has now been shown to better define defect severity and to better understand whether a defect poses a serious source of infiltration.

Sewer Lateral Inspection

Sewer laterals are sections of underground pipe that connects the sewage system in a house or building to a utility’s owned or maintained sanitary sewer collection system. As the name implies, private sewer laterals is a pipe that is owned and maintained by the private property owner. The private sewer lateral is the responsibility of the property owner to maintain and repair, just as the roof on a house is the homeowner's responsibility to maintain and repair.

Sewer laterals that are in poor condition present two problems: (1) faulty sewer lines can leak raw sewage in the ground which may be a public health hazard; and (2) groundwater can invade poorly sealed sewer lines and overload the sewer system, causing sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) and sewer backupsand may also overload the wastewater treatment facilities, resulting in the discharge of partially treated wastewater.

The Agency has been directed by U.S. EPA to control the overflow of untreated sewage which occurs frequently during the rainy season. Based on initial monitoring of effluent flows, it has been determined that defects in sewer pipes allows unwanted groundwater infiltration that overloads the sewage system. When the underground sewer pipes are overloaded with infiltration, some of the sewage overflows into our surface waters without treatment. To control the overflows, the defective pipes must be repaired or replaced to eliminate the source of infiltration.

Industry experts estimate that approximately 60% of infiltration comes from defective private sewer laterals. As a result, defective private sewer laterals need to be replaced or we will never meet overflow control objective.

As part of our need to have a comprehensive plan for repairing and extending the useful life of our sewer system, our Agency requires sophisticated instrumentation and commercially available technologies to evaluate our systems

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to evaluate, select, procure, and deploy a next generation solution to improve our ability to assess the condition of our sanitary sewer laterals. A key objective is the consolidation of legacy CCTV inspection data and a solution that will streamline our ability to readily assess and prioritize our critical sewers.

Vendor solution(s) MUST have existing solution that are developed based on industry accepted published technical standards.

Minimum Requirements

These are the minimum requirements for our desired solution. Vendor should not propose systems which do not meet the following standards:

A. Electro Scanning Solution for Sewer Laterals

The proposed solution must comply with ASTM F2550 - 06 “Standard Practice for Locating Leaks in Sewer Pipes Using Electro-Scan -- the Variation of Electric Current Flow Through the Pipe Wall” or equivalent. Instrumentation must represent a complete and fully functioning device to scan sewer lateral and record all pipe defects capable of causing leaks. The proposed solution must include any recommended accessories and spare parts necessary for operations and maintenance.

B. Air Push Rod

The Electro Scanning Solution for Sewer Laterals requires that the pipe to be full. As such the proposed solution must deliver a pipe plugging device. Full documentation on this process, including but not limited to a field guide, recommended set-up, operation, and storage, must be included.

C. Smartphone Data Entry and Field Printing Solution

The proposed solution must include an integrated smartphone application, available for immediate download from either Android Market or iPhone Store, capable of notification and subsequent download of any and all software modifications, revisions, or upgrades. The smartphone application must be integrated with the Electro Scanning Solution of Sewer Laterals and have a straightforward user interface (UI) for operators to input the scan information such as location and record and display the scan.

Once a scan has been completed, the Smartphone must be capable of communicating with a remotely Hosted Data Management Solution for additional data processing and analytics to verify results of each scan. Once results are confirmed, the operator must be able to print a hardcopy report to a ruggedized field computer.

D. Hosted Data Management Solution

The proposed solutions must include a Hosted Data Management Solution to verify results of each electro scan, store all scan reports, allow office personnel to review reports on an up-to-the-minute basis, and display results by a variety of categories, including Date, Location, Operator, Scan Readings, and Special Notes. The proposed solution must have industry accepted password protection and be hosted from a reputable third party.

The proposed solution will be a replacement to our legacy closed circuit television (CCTV) inspection database. As a result, it must be capable of displaying a side-by-side comparison, if available, of our most recent CCTV inspection results, as part of the vendor’s solution. Legacy CCTV data will be provided to the selected vendor in standard database format for either direct transfer to the Vendor’s solution or accessed via web services. The proposed solution must also include an Executive Dashboard for managers and other authorized users to readily display critical information. Raw data retained in the proposed solution must be available for integration with Hydraulic Models and GIS.

E. Training, Data Conversion, Integration, and Support

The Vendor must include a detailed training plan, including service to support data conversion, system integration with third-party solutions, and ongoing support. As an option, the Vendor may propose additional training for other parties that might include consulting engineers, contractors, and other stakeholders.

Detailed Requirements

# / Requirement / Yes / No / Comments
A. Electro-Scanning Technology for Sewer Laterals
1 / The solution must comply with ASTM F2550 - 06 “Standard Practice for Locating Leaks in Sewer Pipes Using Electro-Scan--the Variation of Electric Current Flow Through the Pipe Wall” or equivalent.
2 / The solution must detect and locate pipe defects that are potential sources of leaks in pipes fabricated from electrically nonconductive materials such as plastic, clay, and concrete (reinforced and non-reinforced).
3 / The solution must use the variation of electric current flow through the pipe wall to locate defects that are potential water leakage paths either into or out of the pipe.
4 / The solution must be carried out by applying an electrical potential of 9 to11 Volts root mean square (RMS) with a frequency of 500 Hz to 30 kHz between an electrode in the electrically nonconductive pipe and an electrode on the surface.
5 / The solution must the record electrical readings indicating that the greater the electric current flow through the pipe defect, the larger the size of the defect. Comment highlighted are covered by F2550 and should be omitted
6 / Must be able to Electro Scan pipe diameters from 3 to 8 inches (75 to 200 mm).
7 / Probe must be capable of negotiating 90 degree elbow turns in 3 inch diameter pipes.
8 / The solution must be capable of scanning both downstream and upstream from a single access point to the lateral (clean out)
9 / Distance measurement must have accuracy +/- 6 in (150mm).
10 / Distance resolution must be 0.5 in (10mm), while the resolution of the current measurements shall be equal to or less than 0.1 % of the maximum current.
11 / Measurement of the distance the probe moves along the pipe must be achieved by the use of an electronic rotary encoder pulley coupled directly to the probe cable
12 / The solution must not allow electric current from an electrode in the electrically nonconductive pipe from traveling along the inside of the pipe before reaching the ground electrode.
13 / The solution’s probe must be constructed in such a way that when equal voltages are applied to all three electrodes, the electric fields of the outer electrodes prevent electrical current from the center electrode flowing along the pipe.
14 / The solution must be capable of centering an electrode to be focused into a disk area measuring about 1 in. (25 mm) wide.
15 / The solution must project an electric field onto the pipe wall as a circumferential band with a width of about 10 % of the pipe diameter.
16 / The solution must ensure that the center of the band is located at the center of the probe allowing an electrical current to flow through the center of an electrode of the probe, thereby creating a focused current.
17 / The solution’s focused current must be dependent on the electrical resistivity of the pipe wall within the area of the band around the circumference of the pipe.
18 / The solution must consist of a controlled voltage source; a probe; an insulated cable to connect the probe to the voltage source and move the probe through the pipe; a system to measure the position of the probe in the pipe; a system to measure the focused current; a system to measure the electrical current flowing through all three electrodes in the probe; and a surface electrode.
19 / The solution’s probe must have geometric dimensions that allows the change of focused current -- resulting as a result of a hole in the pipe with a diameter of 0.5 % of the pipe diameter -- will be detected and that defects that are separated by more than 25 % of the pipe diameter will be resolved.
This requirement will be the reporting standard for a 10 in. (250 mm) diameter pipe with a hole with a diameter of 0.05 in. (1.3 mm) that will detect defects more than 2.5 in. (62 mm) apart to be shown as two separate defects.
20 / The solution’s focused current and the total current flowing between the surface electrode and the probe and the water head shall be measured and recorded at not less than 0.40 in. (10.0 mm) intervals along the pipe while the probe is pulled through a pipe at a speed of 32.8 ft/min (10.0 m/min).
21 / The accuracy of the probe position measurement system will be within 60.5 % with a resolution 0.05 %.
22 / The solution’s applied voltage between the probe and the surface electrode will have a frequency between 500 and 30 000 Hz and a voltage range of 9 to 11 volt root-mean-square (RMS), preventing the occurrence of sparks or electric shock to humans during normal operation or in the event of a short circuit.
23 / The measurement of the probe location, total current, and defect current shall be stored in real time as digital data in either an Android or iPhone Smartphone.
24 / The solution must be capable of scanning a pipe at the rate of 30ft per minute or greater. Scan speed must be capable of performing, i.e. recording measurements at the rate of 30 ft per minute (10m/minute).
25 / Push rod length for electro scan probe must be equal too or greater than 200 ft (60m) in length.
26 / The solution must have a power supply status indicator and a visual and audible indication that the system power is ON.
27 / The design of the electrical circuits shall prevent the occurrence of sparks or electrical shock to humans if faults or damage occur such as a severed cable.
28 / The solution must be designed so that high level components can be removed and replaced by a non-technical operator.
29 / Must withstand rain and low pressure washing in accordance with IP67.
30 / Must be able to operate in outside temperature of 25º to + 120º F (-4º to + 49º C).
31 / Must include a warranty on all electronic components, including printed circuit boards of five (5) years.
32 / Must provide a ground stake suitable for making a ground connection for the system.
33 / Must include a diffuser to add water and salt to the sewer lateral in preparation for electro scanning.
34 / Must include a probe calibration and ground cable reel measuring at least 100ft (30m)
45 / Must include an operations manual or field guide.
# / Requirement / Yes / No / Comments
B. Air Push Rod
1 / The solution must be capable of maintaining water in the 3 to 8 inch diameter sewer lateral at a level that ensures that the pipe is full over the length of pipe that is scanned.
2 / The solution must be cable of positioning an air inflatable plug in a 3 to 8 inch diameter pipe at a distance of 100 ft or more from a single access point (clean out).
3 / The solution must be compatible with readily availableair inflatable pipe plugs.
4 / The solution must be capable of maintaining a constant air pressure of 25 psi
5 / The solution must have a compressed air source with a gauge that measures to 40 psi.
6 / The solution must have a minimum hose length of 100 ft (30m).
# / Requirement / Yes / No / Comments
C. Smartphone Data Entry and Field Printing Solution
1 / In general, the solution must automatically receive, i.e. without operator keying of individual readings, the measurement of the probe location (distance), total current, and focused current, in real time as digital data, transmitted to either an Android OS or Apple iPhone Smartphone.
2 / The solution must state all reading values in inch/pound units are to be regarded as the standard.
3 / The solution must be able to accept electro scan readings.
4 / The solution must be able to display a list of scans and to display plots of each scan
5 / The solution must be able to automatically export raw data to a hosted application for review of each scan.
6 / The solution must be able to return data from being processed on a hosted environment and display plotted results, ready for print-out in the field printer.
7 / The solution must be able to send of a scan.
8 / The solution must be able to enter the following information:
  • Scan Date and Time
  • Client/Customer Name
  • Address (in standard data formats)
  • Start Location, including Type, Description, and GPS.
  • End Location, including Type, Description, and GPS.
  • Comments

9 / The system must be able to use Google Maps to locate their GPS and street address.
10 / The solution must the entry of Operator name and job ID.
11 / The solution must allow an Operator, once the Smartphone confirms the probe is connected and reading, to simply press a START button to begin a scan.
12 / The solution must display real-time data, including Total Distance, Number of Defects, and Distance From Pipe Entrance in either feet or meters.
13 / The solution must measure and record distances to the nearest 0.1 ft (0.01m) using an engineering tape or measuring wheel marked in 0.1 ft (0.01m).
14 / The solution must detect all pipe defects at the middle of its probe. Therefore, at the start of a scan, the probe must be placed in the pipe, with the middle of the probe typically offset from the center of the MH.
As a result, the distance recording begins at the “start offset” and must be measured and recorded so the defects found are located correctly on the test record.
Similarly, the solution must record an “end offset” that should also be measured and recorded so a comparison check can be made between the sewer length recorded by the test and the measured sewer length.
15 / The solution must include a Map Sketch feature, utilizing ortho photography from Google Maps, to sketch approximate locations of sewer cleanouts.
16 / The solution must be able to end a scan and initiate processing of scan results by sending just collected raw data to a hosted environment for additional processing and analytics.
17 / For each scan section, a graphical representation must be provided of the data recorded, representing a distance plot of the focused current.
18 / The solution must be able to retrieve completed scans from a hosted environment and be available to print.
Integration of Smartphone with Ruggedized Field Printer