The approved 2024 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) includes $135,000 in funding for Water and Sewer Operational Equipment. Staff continues to improve the yearly sanitary sewer cleaning program by using various types of equipment to better identify and document problems within the Village’s sanitary system. This type of work is very time consuming, because of the uncertainty of pipe conditions. Staff evaluates each segment of sanitary sewer pipe by first cleaning, and then deploying the crawler camera to inspect the pipe. This process requires Staff to work together with multiple large pieces of equipment to complete this work on an annual basis.

In March of 2024, Staff identified and tested a product designed for quickly detecting blockage conditions in the sewer systems. The SL-RAT is a product that uses acoustic technology to transmit a signal to a receiver that assesses blockages with no flow contact. The SL-RAT then effectively grades pipe conditions on a “1-10” scale with a “10” having a significant blockage, and a “1” showing no blockage issues present.

This technology allows Staff to work from pipe segment to pipe segment more quickly to identify what sanitary pipe segments actually need to be cleaned and televised from those sections that do not. Data from the SL-RAT is recorded in GIS, which is then utilized to determine pipe segment needs. Using this tool will allow staff to inspect and document more of the Village’s sanitary system on a regular basis.

This inspection tool and its documentation capabilities also assists in satisfying the MWRD mandates that two percent (2%) of the sanitary system is inspected every year.

The SL-RAT is a proprietary piece of equipment offered by InfoSense Inc, which specializes in Acoustic Inspection Technology.  Staff has received a proposal in the amount of $29,040, which will be funded from the Water and Sewer Operational Equipment account.

Funds for this purchase are available in Account No. 505-7201-550150 (EQ9401).
 
RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the Village Board award the purchase of the SL-Rat Sewer Line Rapid Assessment Tool from InfoSense, Inc., in the amount of $29,040 and authorize the execution of the necessary documents.