How McKinney Texas Is Using Acoustic Inspection to Improve Cleaning Efficiency in a High-Growth Utility Environment

The paper discusses how the City of McKinney Wastewater Division integrated acoustic technology as a screening tool to address challenges associated with maintaining sewer systems in a rapidly growing city. Despite high population growth, expansion of their sewer network, and limited growth in workforce headcount, McKinney has integrated innovative solutions to continue providing quality wastewater service. This presentation will allow other utility operators and managers facing similar challenges to see how McKinney integrated acoustic technology to address and accomplish the following: creating and implementing a Sanitary Sewer Overflow Initiative (SSOI) that incorporates acoustic inspection, equivalent to CMOM Program, with Texas Commission of Environmental Quality; proactively managing wastewater network; catching live SSOs in the making, as well as finding other issues such as paved over manholes, pipe sags, etc.; keeping construction contractors accountable to structural issues in newly developed areas; addressing population growth and optimizing workforce headcount; quantifying the water cost savings from reduced cleaning (McKinney purchases water from North Texas Municipal Water District. The results discussed in this presentation are from a fully implemented program in McKinney, TX since 2018.