Ballina Shire Council, situated on the northern coast of New South Wales, manages four wastewater treatment plants servicing approximately 14,000 homes and processing 8ML/day. Due to its coastal location, the Council faces a significant challenge from sea water infiltration, exacerbated by high tides, rising sea levels, and storm surges. This ingress increases salinity within the wastewater network, reducing treatment efficiency, accelerating corrosion, and driving up maintenance costs.
To address these challenges, Ballina Shire Council partnered with VAPAR, an AI-powered pipeline inspection and defect analysis platform. Traditional inspection methods had proven time consuming or inadequate in accurately identifying infiltration sources, leading to inefficiencies in maintenance planning and infrastructure rehabilitation. By leveraging VAPAR’s AI-driven video analysis, the Council conducted inspections over 10 kilometres of pipeline, rapidly detecting and categorizing over 3,950 pipe features and defects. Notably, 396 instances of infiltration were identified, affecting 1.4 kilometres of wastewater assets.
The implementation of VAPAR’s cloud-based system enabled streamlined defect reporting, seamless data storage, and collaborative planning among engineers, asset managers, and external stakeholders. With real-time access to inspection results and automated defect classification, the Council could prioritize targeted relining works, mitigating the impact of SWI and reinforcing critical sections of the wastewater network.
This data-driven approach has enhanced the Council’s capacity to proactively manage wastewater infrastructure, improving resilience against future sea level rise and extreme weather events. The integration of AI-based inspection technology has provided Ballina with consistent assessment processes, better resource allocation, and a long-term strategy for sustainable wastewater asset management.
The success of this project highlights the transformative potential of AI-powered tools in infrastructure resilience, offering a scalable model for other coastal councils facing similar wastewater challenges. By embracing new technology, Ballina has set a benchmark for proactive, cost-effective wastewater management in coastal regions.