Challenge
The City of Boulder, Colorado, manages a 388-mile sanitary sewer network, overseen by its Utilities Department, which is also responsible for stormwater distribution. Historically, work order management was labor-intensive and prone to errors due to manual data entry. Two internal CCTV inspection and cleaning crews stored inspection media directly on trucks and relied on hard drives to transfer data—delaying access to inspection results and limiting timely analysis. These inefficiencies impacted the city’s ability to make informed decisions quickly and maintain consistent service across the sewer network.
Solution
Boulder partnered with ITpipes to implement a more structured and efficient sewer inspection and cleaning workflow. The city integrated ITpipes Mobile and ITpipes Web with Esri ArcGIS, enabling GIS-powered inspection workflows and seamless data access. Utilizing Esri Feature Services, Boulder divided its sewer network into geographic zones and launched a rolling inspection and cleaning program. ITpipes Mobile enabled crews to work from prepopulated GIS attribute data, reducing the need for manual input and eliminating associated errors. This approach streamlined operations and ensured consistent, accurate reporting across all crews.
Partners
Boulder’s upgraded inspection program was anchored by ITpipes, which provided the mobile and web-based tools to digitize and automate sewer inspection workflows. Esri ArcGIS played a critical role in organizing the city’s network into zones and delivering mapping capabilities to field and office teams. The integration allowed inspection results to flow directly into the city’s GIS, giving stakeholders across departments real-time access to critical data.
Results
The integration of ITpipes and Esri ArcGIS significantly improved Boulder’s ability to manage its sewer infrastructure. Data is now transferred automatically and available immediately, enabling quicker analysis and more informed decision-making. Labor-intensive tasks were reduced, errors minimized, and inspections became more structured and efficient. Boulder’s Utilities Department can now better prioritize maintenance, protect public health, and uphold its environmental commitments through a more sustainable and transparent sewer management strategy.