One Study.Every I&I Source Ranked.
A Sanitary Sewer Evaluation Survey brings flow monitoring, smoke testing, manhole inspection, and CCTV together into a single, prioritized analysis, so you fix the infiltration and inflow that actually matters, in the order that pays off.
Definition
What It Is
A Sanitary Sewer Evaluation Survey (SSES) is a structured study that identifies, quantifies, and prioritizes the sources of infiltration and inflow (I&I) in a sanitary sewer system. Rather than a single inspection, an SSES sequences several methods, typically flow monitoring to measure where and when excess flow enters, then smoke testing, manhole inspection, and CCTV to locate and document the specific defects responsible. The findings are weighed against a basic cost question rooted in EPA practice: is removing a given source of I&I more cost-effective than transporting and treating the extra flow it produces? The deliverable is not just a list of defects, it is a prioritized, defensible rehabilitation plan tied to that cost-effectiveness logic. Program components: Flow Monitoring · Smoke Testing · Manhole Inspection · CCTV · Cost-Effectiveness Analysis · Prioritized Findings.
Signals
When You Need It
- Excess wet-weather flow is straining your collection system or treatment plant.
- A regulatory action plan, consent order, or permit requires a documented I&I study.
- Overflows (SSOs) or capacity limits demand a defensible reduction plan, not guesswork.
- You need to justify rehabilitation spending with a cost-effectiveness basis.
- Scattered prior inspections exist but no one has tied them into a prioritized program.
Method
How We Do It
- Step 01
Scope The Basin & Review Existing Data
We let the flow data aim the field work. Measuring first means we inspect where the I&I actually is, then rank the fixes by what reduces flow per dollar, not by what's easiest to reach. We start by defining the study basin and pulling every existing record: prior CCTV, SSO history, treatment-plant flow data, GIS, and maintenance logs.
- Step 02
Flow-Monitor To Quantify & Locate Excess Flow
Flow monitoring measures where and when excess flow enters the system across dry and wet weather, so the rest of the program targets real sources instead of guesses. [CONFIRM: SES performs flow monitoring in-house or via partner.]
- Step 03
Deploy Smoke Testing, Manhole Inspection & CCTV Where The Flow Data Points
With sub-basins ranked by excess flow, crews deploy smoke testing for inflow sources, MACP manhole inspection for structural defects and I&I at access points, and PACP CCTV for in-pipe condition, concentrated where the meters say the flow is coming in.
- Step 04
Quantify Each I&I Source & Weigh Removal vs. Transport-And-Treat Cost
Each located defect is tied back to an estimated flow contribution, and removal cost is weighed against the cost of continuing to transport and treat that flow, the core EPA cost-effectiveness test.
- Step 05
Deliver A Prioritized I&I Reduction Plan
You receive a ranked rehabilitation plan, what to fix, in what order, with the flow-reduction and cost-effectiveness basis documented for engineering, finance, and regulators.
Deliverables
What You Get
- A quantified inventory of I&I sources across the study basin.
- Each source located, documented, and ranked by contribution and cost-effectiveness.
- A defensible, prioritized rehabilitation plan tied to flow reduction.
- Documentation that supports regulatory action-plan and permit requirements.
- A basis to justify, sequence, and budget I&I removal work.
- [CONFIRM: deliverable format, SSES report, GIS-linked findings, prioritized project list.]
Engineering
Capabilities & Specs
- Program Components
- Flow monitoringsmoke testingmanhole inspection (MACP)CCTV (PACP)analysis
- Flow Monitoring
- [CONFIRM: in-house vs. partnered; metering type and duration if in-house.]
- Analysis Basis
- I&I source quantification and cost-effectiveness (removal vs. transport-and-treat)
- Coding Standards
- NASSCO PACP / MACP / LACP for the inspection components. [CONFIRM]
- Basin / Area Scope
- [CONFIRM: typical study area size handled.]
- Regulatory Alignment
- [CONFIRM: applicable FL/EPA frameworke.g. Rule 62-600.705 F.A.C. collection-system action plansverify exact rule text before publish.]
- Deliverable Formats
- [CONFIRM: SSES reportGIS-linked findingsprioritized project list.]
Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
An SSES is a structured study that identifies, quantifies, and prioritizes infiltration and inflow (I&I) sources in a sanitary sewer system. It sequences flow monitoring, smoke testing, manhole inspection, and CCTV into a single program and ranks the findings using a cost-effectiveness test rooted in EPA practice: is removing a given source of I&I cheaper than continuing to transport and treat the extra flow it produces? The deliverable is a prioritized rehabilitation plan, not just a list of defects.
A single inspection, CCTV, smoke testing, or a manhole survey, documents one slice of condition. An SSES is the umbrella program that integrates those methods, ties their findings to measured flow, and weighs each defect by its contribution and the cost of fixing it. It answers a different question: not 'what does this pipe look like?' but 'across this basin, which I&I sources should we remove first, and is removal more cost-effective than transporting and treating the excess flow?'
A typical SSES includes flow monitoring (to measure where and when excess flow enters the system), smoke testing (to map surface inflow sources), manhole inspection coded to NASSCO MACP (structural and I&I condition at access points), and CCTV coded to NASSCO PACP (in-pipe condition). The mix and depth are scaled to the basin and the regulatory or capital driver behind the study.
Each located defect is tied back to an estimated flow contribution. Removal cost is then weighed against the cost of continuing to transport and treat that flow, the core EPA cost-effectiveness test. Sources where removal beats transport-and-treat rank highest; sources that are expensive to fix and contribute little flow rank lower. The result is a ranked plan justified on flow reduction per dollar, not on what is easiest to reach.
A properly executed, documented SSES is the standard evidence base for I&I action-plan and consent-order obligations on a sanitary collection system. It provides the quantified sources, the prioritization logic, and the cost-effectiveness reasoning regulators expect. [CONFIRM specific Florida rule reference, e.g. Rule 62-600.705 F.A.C., verify exact current text against your permit/consent order before relying on it.]
Flow monitoring is the front end of the SSES, it aims every other method. [CONFIRM: SES performs flow monitoring in-house or coordinates it through a metering partner as part of the program. See Capabilities & Specs.]
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