Proactive Sewer Planning in Colombia: Plan and Prioritization for Cleaning and CCTV Inspection of the Medellin Sewer System

Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) is a decentralized public entity founded in August of 1955. EPM provides public utility services to the residents of Medellin and other municipalities of the Aburrá Valley in Colombia, including power (generation and distribution), natural gas distribution, drinking water treatment and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment and telecommunication service. Recognizing that knowledge and understanding of the internal condition of the sewer network is an important component which provides the public agency with the necessary tools for the sustainable and efficient operation and maintenance of the system, with the goal of ensuring the continuity and quality of the service, protect the environment and public health, EPM embarked in the development of a Plan for the Implementation of Cleaning and Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Inspection and Assessment of all the pipes of the sewer network of the Aburrá Valley.This paper/presentation discusses the location of the study, methodology used to develop the plan (based on a risk analysis), benefits of the plan, and conclusions and recommendations of the study. The development of the cleaning and CCTV inspection plan provided results that will aid EPM in making decisions and taking actions for rehabilitation, repair or replacement, which may be needed to provide the residents of the Aburrá Valley with a sustainable, efficient and reliable sewer system. The next major step for EPM is the implementation of the Cleaning and CCTV Inspection Plan.