The purchase of a $200,000 camera is in the pipe to help the city keep on top of water and sewer pipeline issues.
At its Aug. 11 meeting, Salmon Arm council approved the purchase of a new sewer inspection "crawler" camera from Surrey company Kendrick Equipment 2003 Ltd., for $178,275.33 plus taxes. With $170,000 set aside in the 2025 budget for the acquisition, a budget amendment was also approved to transfer a total of $21,000 from reserves.
The typically wheeled robotic technology will enable the city to conduct high-resolution, real-time inspections of sanitary and storm pipeline systems.
"A sewer inspection crawler camera offers a proactive and cost-effective solution for internal pipeline inspection, enabling early detection of cracks, root intrusion, buildup, damage, or foreign material," wrote staff in background information accompanying the motion for council's consideration.
"Given the complexity of the CityÎÚÑ»´«Ã½™s sanitary and storm infrastructure, several pipeline segments require immediate inspection," said staff. "Historically, the City has relied on an outdated and failing crawler system, supplemented by contracted services. However, securing qualified contractors has become increasingly expensive."
In July four companies responded to a request for quotation (RFQ) issued by the city. Of those, only three of the bids were compliant with the RFQ, Kendrick's coming in the lowest.
