Video cameras in Tulsa's sewer system

It's lights, camera, and plenty of action for a City of Tulsa camera crew at work in the sewers. <br><br>The city started inspecting sewer lines with a camera tractor four years ago. The camera can

Wednesday, November 5th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

It's lights, camera, and plenty of action for a City of Tulsa camera crew at work in the sewers.

The city started inspecting sewer lines with a camera tractor four years ago. The camera can travel more than a block in sewer lines to document cracks or leaks.

The goal is to find little problems before they cause a backup. Ralph Parker, Supervisor: "The old way was to wait until the sewer backed up or the ground caved in and you knew you had a problem, but now we can easily schedule repairs 6 months to a year ahead."

The problems aren't always big ones. Sometimes the occasional mouse pops into view, but more often it's tree roots or a greasy buildup that causes the problem.