Choosing an AI solutions partner for your sewer inspection workflow isn’t easy. There are dozens of tools promising fast results, but how do you know which one is right for your team?
Before you sign any contracts, here are five key questions you should ask to protect your budget and ensure high-quality outcomes:
1. Is your AI solution NASSCO PACP/MACP/LACP-compliant?
Not all AI tools are built to meet NASSCO standards. Ask if the platform supports PACP, MACP, and LACP coding and what version they use.
2. How is QA/QC handled post-coding?
AI results should always be reviewed by qualified NASSCO-certified professionals. Partial checks or spot reviews just don’t cut it—full human verification is essential.
3. Do you track performance metrics?
A quality AI vendor should track KPIs like model accuracy, overcoding rates, and time savings. These metrics help ensure the tool is improving over time and align with modern expectations around AI automation and quality control.
4. How quickly can your platform return coded results?
Timely inspection processing is critical to staying ahead of infrastructure issues. Ask how quickly the AI tool can return coded results—and more importantly, whether it can scale with your current and future inspection volume. Look for solutions that clearly explain what affects their turnaround time, such as video quality, model efficiency, or QA staffing. A fast tool that bottlenecks under pressure won’t serve your goals for automation or proactive maintenance planning.
5. Is your process transparent?
Ask to see the full workflow—from uploaded inspection footage to final reporting. If the provider can’t explain it clearly, that’s a red flag. Transparency is crucial in understanding how machine learning is applied and continuously refined.
AI tools like these are part of a broader trend transforming the wastewater infrastructure industry—using automation to make processes faster and more reliable, while allocating human capital to do what they do best.
Conclusion
Choosing the right AI tool isn’t just about automation—it’s about trust, transparency, and results. By asking the right questions up front, you’ll uncover how a solution performs under pressure, how it supports quality control, and whether it truly aligns with industry standards like NASSCO. In an industry where accuracy and efficiency are everything, doing your due diligence sets the foundation for long-term success.
Call to Action
Need help sorting through the noise? Download the full AI Buyers Guide for a comprehensive breakdown of what to ask and how to compare options.
