CCTV Sewer Inspection: What Alberta Municipalities Should Know Before Budget Season
A CCTV sewer inspection uses a robotic crawler camera to record the interior condition of sewer mains, locate defects and create a documented condition record without excavation.
When standardized PACP condition coding for asset management, rehabilitation planning and capital budgeting is paired with this information, it becomes far more useful for municipalities and engineers.
This service applies to municipal and industrial collection systems, including mainlines, manholes and connections. It is not a residential service-line inspection.
What Is a CCTV Sewer Inspection?
This is how a CCTV inspection works: a robotic crawler works its way through the sewer main while recording high-definition video. Operators will document defects by location, including:
- Cracks and fractures
- Offset joints
- Root intrusion
- Deposits and debris
- Pipe deflection
- Infiltration
- Standing water
- Connection defects
This kind of inspection will give your team a condition record for buried infrastructure that would otherwise be difficult to assess directly without excavation..
It’s important to note, though, that the camera is only part of the value. The more important question is how those observations are recorded and classified!
PACP-Certified Data Makes Inspections More Useful
The National Association of Sewer Service Companies (NASSCO) administers three relevant assessment programs:
- PACP — Pipeline Assessment Certification Program
- MACP — Manhole Assessment Certification Program
- LACP — Lateral Assessment Certification Program
These programs standardize defect coding so conditions such as cracks, root intrusion and displaced joints can be documented with consistency.
This really matters, because an uncertified inspection can leave you with footage interpreted according to the sole operator’s terminology. A PACP-coded inspection produces a structure for the information that can be compared over time. Something that can incorporated into asset records and understood by future staff or consultants.
Sanatec Environmental provides PACP, MACP and LACP-certified inspections. Get yours by contacting us today!
Condition Data Strengthens Capital Planning
Municipalities own approximately 74–78% of Canada’s water, wastewater and stormwater assets, according to the Canadian Infrastructure Council’s 2025 technical paper.
Wastewater assets alone carry an estimated $359 billion replacement value. Among wastewater sewer pipes under 450 mm, 13% were rated poor or very poor, while 57% were rated good or very good.
This isn’t to say that most sewer infrastructure is failing. It is an indication that age and installation date alone cannot tell you which assets should be funded first. Two pipes of similar age can be in very different conditions.
CCTV inspection can give your municipality or engineering team measured condition data to help determine which segments may require rehabilitation work, which need further investigation, and which can remain in service.
Three Situations Commonly Trigger CCTV Inspection
Capital Planning and Prioritisation
CCTV allows projects to be prioritized based on observed condition rather than relying on age or complaint history.
Alberta frames municipal asset management as a planned approach to managing and investing in infrastructure. It is not a blanket regulatory requirement, but condition information increasingly supports the kind of evidence-based planning expected in capital and funding decisions.
Inflow and Infiltration Investigation
If sanitary flows rise after rainfall or spring melt, inflow and infiltration (I&I) may be entering the system.
CCTV can identify visible defects such as cracked mains, failed joints, damaged connections and active infiltration points, helping your team focus rehabilitation or further investigation on the right locations.
Pre- and Post-Rehabilitation Verification
Pre-project inspection can help define rehabilitation scope before lining, repair or replacement.
Post-project inspection creates a record of the completed work and helps confirm the condition of the rehabilitated segment.
CCTV Inspection Can Verify New Sewer Installations Before Acceptance
Deep utility contractors can use CCTV inspection to document new sewer installations.
Depending on the project, inspection can help identify:
- Construction debris
- Joint alignment issues
- Deflection
- Standing water
- Installation or backfill damage
Identifying problems before the final handover is much easier than addressing them after paving and surface restoration are complete.
Contractors should confirm the applicable municipal servicing standards and construction specifications rather than assuming a provincial default. Acceptance conditions can vary by owner!
When Should Alberta Municipalities Schedule CCTV Inspection?
Late fall through early spring tends to be the most useful time period for condition-assessment work. This is when we recommend municipalities and engineering firms schedule inspections.
Condition information collected in the last quarter of the year can support:
- Q1 capital planning
- Engineering scope development
- Rehabilitation priorities
- Spring tender packages
Deep utility contractors follow a different cycle. Pre-commissioning inspections increase through spring and summer as construction activity rises. That makes fall and winter a useful municipal planning window while also reducing competition with other peak construction-season inspection work.
What Should You Ask Before Awarding a CCTV Inspection Contract?
- Are the operators PACP, MACP and LACP certified?
- Confirm the deliverables will use standardized coding.
- What format will the data be delivered in?
- Make sure it works with your asset-management or GIS system.
- Is manhole assessment included?
- Confirm exactly which assets are in scope.
- Will lines be cleaned before inspection?
- Debris can prevent a clear view of pipe walls and defects.
- How are defects located and referenced to mapping?
- Condition data needs to tie back to specific assets.
- What is included in the final deliverable?
- Clarify whether you receive video, coded reports and condition summaries.
- Can the equipment handle the diameters in our system?
- Confirm crawler capability before mobilization.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should municipalities inspect sewer mains?
There is no universal maintenance schedule. Inspection frequency should be risk-based and consider pipe material, age, diameter, criticality, previous condition data and known problem history. Higher-risk assets may require more frequent inspection than stable, lower-risk mains.
What is the difference between PACP, MACP and LACP?
PACP covers pipeline condition assessment, MACP covers manholes and LACP covers laterals. All three NASSCO programs use standardized terminology and coding to create more consistent infrastructure condition records.
Do sewer mains need to be cleaned before CCTV inspection?
Often, yes. Deposits, sediment and debris can obscure the pipe wall. High-pressure jetting before inspection can improve visibility and help operators document defects more accurately.
Can CCTV identify inflow and infiltration?
CCTV can identify visible defects associated with I&I, including cracked mains, failed joints, damaged connections and active infiltration. It is often used alongside other investigation methods.
Does Sanatec inspect residential sewer lines?
No. Sanatec’s CCTV inspection services are for municipal and industrial collection systems, engineering projects and deep utility construction.
Plan Next Year’s Inspection Program Before Budget Decisions Are Finalized
Sanatec provides PACP, MACP and LACP-certified CCTV inspection, along with high-pressure sewer jetting, for municipalities, counties, engineering firms, deep utility contractors and industrial facilities across Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
If next year’s rehabilitation budget is being developed now, this is the season to collect that information. Call Sanatec at 403-548-7300 to book your appointment!
