What Is CCTV Pipe Inspection?

CCTV stands for closed-circuit television. In pipe work it means a camera travels the line while an operator at the surface watches live video, records it, and logs what the camera finds. Three related services usually go together:

• Mainline inspection: a crawler-mounted camera travels the main from manhole to manhole.
• Lateral launch inspection: a second camera deploys from the crawler into each service lateral.
• Sonde locating: a transmitter on the camera lets a technician mark the pipe's position and depth from the surface.

How Does CCTV Pipe Inspection Work?

1. The crawler enters the pipe. A wheeled, remote-controlled camera unit is lowered through a manhole and driven up the line on a cable.
2. The operator inspects and logs. The camera pans and tilts to look at joints, taps, and defects. A distance counter records where each one sits.
3. The lateral camera launches. At each service connection, a smaller camera extends from the crawler up the lateral toward the building.
4. The sonde is located. A receiver at the surface picks up the camera's transmitter, and the technician marks the pipe's horizontal position and depth.

What Does CCTV Inspection Find?

• Cracks, fractures, and collapsed sections
• Offset and separated joints
• Sags (bellies) where water and debris settle
• Root intrusion
• Grease, scale, and debris buildup
• Groundwater infiltration at joints and defects
• Corrosion and worn pipe wall
• Cross bores, where another utility has been drilled through the pipe
• Unrecorded or illicit service connections

When Should You Use CCTV Pipe Inspection?

• Before excavation, to target the repair instead of digging to find it
• Before and after hydro jetting
• Before and after directional drilling near sewer laterals
• When a line backs up repeatedly and the cause is unknown
• For acceptance of new sewer and storm lines where the owner requires it
• Before buying, selling, or redeveloping commercial property
• For condition assessment and capital planning on municipal systems
• When pipe location and depth records are missing or unreliable

A camera cannot see through standing debris or heavy grease. Lines in poor condition are cleaned first so the pipe wall is visible.

What Equipment Is Used for CCTV Pipe Inspection?

Full specifications are on the Equipment page.

What Industries Use CCTV Pipe Inspection?

• Municipalities and public works: condition assessment, maintenance planning, lateral inspection programs
• General contractors: pre-construction surveys and post-construction verification
• Utility companies: cross-bore checks before and after directional drilling
• Civil engineers: condition data and pipe locations for design
• Property managers: diagnosing recurring backups and documenting line condition
• Pipeline operators: inspecting drain and process lines at facilities

What Does a CCTV Inspection Look Like on a Job Site?

1. Scope and access. The crew confirms the runs to be inspected and locates manholes and cleanouts. Traffic control goes up if access is in a roadway.
2. Cleaning if needed. Lines with heavy buildup are hydro jetted so the camera can see the pipe wall.
3. Mainline run. The crawler travels the pipe while the operator records video and logs each observation by distance.
4. Lateral launch. Each service connection is inspected from the main, without access to the property.
5. Locating. The sonde is traced from the surface and pipe position, depth, and defect locations are marked.
6. Report. Video, photos, and the defect log are delivered for repair planning.

What Does a CCTV Inspection Report Include?

• 4K video of the full run with distance counter overlay
• Photographs of each defect, connection, and anomaly
• Pipe material, diameter, and flow direction
• GPS-referenced start point and significant findings
• A defect log with distance, defect type, and severity
• A written summary with repair priorities

For municipal and engineering clients, reports can be coded to NASSCO PACP, the national standard for pipe condition assessment.

What Are the Safety Advantages of CCTV Inspection?

• No entry. The camera goes into the pipe so a person does not have to.
• No exploratory digging. Defects are found and located before any excavation starts.
• Cross-bore detection. A gas line drilled through a sewer lateral is visible on camera before anyone runs a cutter or jetter into it.
• Smaller excavations. Sonde locating puts the dig directly over the defect.
• A record. Dated footage documents pipe condition before and after nearby work.

Utah-Specific Considerations

Soils and settlement

Wasatch Front valley floors sit on Lake Bonneville silt and clay, with expansive soils in places. Pipes laid in ground that moves develop sags and offset joints over time. Washington County's collapsible soils cause similar settlement. These are the defects a camera finds before they become backups.

Shallow groundwater and infiltration

Where groundwater is shallow, cracked pipes and open joints let water into the sewer. That infiltration takes up capacity and adds treatment cost. On camera it shows as water entering at joints and defects, which tells the owner exactly where to seal or line.

Earthquakes

The Wasatch Front is seismically active, and the magnitude 5.7 Magna earthquake in 2020 was a reminder that buried pipe moves with the ground. A baseline inspection gives owners something to compare against after an event.

Directional drilling and cross bores

Gas, fiber, and electric lines along the Wasatch Front are often installed by horizontal directional drilling. A bore that passes through a sewer lateral creates a cross bore. Lateral launch inspection before and after drilling confirms the bore path missed every lateral on the corridor in a single mobilization.

Frost and shallow laterals

Salt Lake Valley jurisdictions use a 30-inch design frost depth, and the figure is deeper at elevation. Laterals and storm lines above the frost line are exposed to freeze-thaw movement, which shows up on camera as cracked pipe and shifted joints.

Manholes in UDOT right-of-way

Inspecting from a manhole in a state highway requires a UDOT encroachment permit and an approved traffic control plan. Delta is a UDOT Masterworks registered vendor.

CCTV Pipe Inspection FAQ

What is a lateral launch inspection?

A lateral launch inspection uses a mainline crawler that deploys a second camera into each service lateral from inside the sewer main. It inspects the connection and the lateral without access from the property. Delta's lateral launch camera travels up to 200 feet into a lateral.

What does a CCTV pipe inspection report include?

A report includes 4K video with distance overlay, photographs of each defect, pipe material and diameter, GPS-referenced locations, a defect log with type and severity, and a written summary with repair priorities. Municipal and engineering reports can be coded to NASSCO PACP standards.

How does sonde locating work?

A sonde is a small radio transmitter on the camera, typically broadcasting at 512 Hz. A technician at the surface traces the signal with a receiver to mark the pipe's horizontal position and depth. It works on non-metallic pipe that standard utility locators cannot detect.

Can CCTV inspection find a cross bore?

Yes. A cross bore is a utility line, most critically a gas line, drilled through a sewer lateral. It appears on camera as a foreign pipe crossing the inside of the line. Lateral launch inspection is the standard way to check for cross bores before and after directional drilling.

What size pipes can be inspected?

Delta's mainline crawler inspects pipes 6 inches in diameter and larger. Service laterals connected to those mains are inspected with the lateral launch camera, which deploys from the crawler and does not require access from the building.

Does a pipe need to be cleaned before CCTV inspection?

Often, yes. A camera cannot see the pipe wall through grease, roots, or standing debris. Lines with heavy buildup are hydro jetted first, then inspected. Lines in fair condition can usually be inspected as they are.

To schedule a CCTV pipe inspection or request a quote, call (801) 435-3203 ext. 1501.