Can ROVs Reduce Inspection Costs?

ROVs help avoid unnecessary dewatering and cleaning operations.

“With a diver, it depends on the location, but some of them have to de-water. Some of them have to actually empty all of the water out, then have people go into the confined space to clean it. That’s often based on a hunch that the clear well needs to be emptied in order to clean it.”

With ROV inspections:

“A drone will go in there and tell you, oh, you actually don't need to clean it.”

This enables:

• Condition-based decision making
• Avoidance of unnecessary draining
• Reduced operational disruption

“It costs a lot of time and money to actually dump all that water. Tons, tons of time and money. In the past, they would use divers if they have a major issue or something might be going wrong. Now with the ROV... We don't need to do that. The ROV saves that major step.”

How Do ROV Inspections Improve Preventative Maintenance Planning?

ROV inspections support preventative maintenance and asset lifecycle planning.

“I look at pump integrity during inspections, including the condition of the pump walls—checking for rust, corrosion, and similar issues. I also look for crustacean buildup. From there, I can provide feedback, such as recommending a planned pump pull within a defined timeframe if issues are likely to develop.”

They also inform cleaning schedules:

“Preventative maintenance also applies to cleaning the clear well, where I assess sediment buildup and other material accumulating in the tank. You look at all the sediment buildup… then you're able to actually pre-plan.”

This supports:

• Targeted maintenance interventions
• Reduced reactive repairs
• Extended intervals between cleanings

“It’s mainly saving time and money. Instead of draining the entire asset and water system just to determine whether infrastructure is in good condition or needs cleaning, you can inspect it directly. Without visibility, there’s uncertainty around the actual condition.

Being able to throw the PHOTON in there and just look at everything and go, ‘okay, well, we can go another year or two. We don’t need to actually clean it this year.’ Then you’re able to support longer-term planning, such as scheduling a cleaning two years out. So you’re able to get a longer life between cleanings and save some costs.”

How Do ROVs Minimize Water Contamination Risk During Inspections?

ROVs reduce disturbance inside potable water systems compared to divers.

“From a logistics standpoint, the ROV is much better. We’ve been working with our regulatory body, the Water Security Agency, which sets the regulations for us, and they require that we increase the chlorine and report back every hour while the machine is in there. So it’s similar rules to when a diver goes in, but a diver has a greater surface area, so they could affect the potable water more than the small unit. They can stir things up more, and then they can drop the chlorine on us while they’re in there. The drone doesn’t really affect anything while it’s in there.”

The result is improved control over:

• Water quality
• Sediment disruption
• Chlorine stability during inspections

How Easy Is It to Deploy and Operate ROV Systems?

Deployment simplicity and operational control both contribute to day-to-day efficiency in the field, particularly when working in confined or infrastructure-heavy water systems where safe handling and repeatable workflows are required.

“We'll show up on site, do all of our safety procedures that we need to do, and then you spray down the instrument with chlorine right before it goes in–then we do our inspection, and rinse and repeat.”

“We’re really happy with the Deep Trekker systems because it’s been a great fit operationally,” explained Markel. “Everything fits in one case, I can throw it in the back of the truck and not have an issue.”

From a usability standpoint, the Deep Trekker handheld controller has been easy for operators to learn and use consistently in the field.

Training requirements are minimal:

“The Deep Trekker system’s controls are intuitive and easy to use. I’ve grown up playing video games, so using the controller came naturally to me. It was very easy to get up and running. Even some of our older staff who didn’t grow up playing video games adapted to the controller quickly. They were trained up in a short period and became comfortable using it.”

Maneuverability and tether management also play a key role in operational performance. “Maneuverability and tether management is pretty important. It’s not difficult—these tanks aren’t too elaborate, so it’s fairly easy to make your way back. There are a few locations where there’s aeration pumps and similar equipment operating, so you need to be aware of where your tether is and how it’s being managed. But the Deep Trekker system’s tether is really easy to track and manage.”

What Features Deliver the Most Value in ROV Inspections?

Current high-value features include:

• Camera and lighting for visual confirmation
• Compact deployment footprint
• Live video feed for real-time inspection support

Emerging value from tooling is focused on expanding capability beyond inspection.

“Right now, the system is mainly used for video inspection and capturing footage. We recently added a grabber claw, and there was a situation where it would have been useful. In one of our clear wells, roots were growing through cracks, and the claw could have been used to remove them. At the time, we didn’t have that attachment yet, so we had to bring in a diver to clear it out.

Future enhancements under consideration:

• Vacuum systems for sediment removal

“We’re discussing adding the Deep Trekker VAC Utility crawler to be able to clean up sediment on the bottom. That will likely be part of our next ROV line up, and it will be a major capability increase.”

• DVL for positioning in open water

“In the clear wells and similar structures, there isn’t much water movement, so we don’t really need it there. But again, we’re talking about upgrading to a Deep Trekker system with DVL and station-holding capability that is used just for our raw water. The goal is that when we go out onto lakes, we’re able to accurately pinpoint where our pipelines are and related infrastructure.”

How Do ROVs Change Inspection Frequency and Flexibility?

ROVs enable on-demand inspections without logistical constraints.

“We can now do inspections whenever we feel like. If anybody ever asks me, ‘Hey, can you come inspect this?’ Oh, yeah, no problem. We'll come out and do a quick inspection on whatever they need done right away.”

This flexibility supports:

• Faster response to issues
• Reduced dependency on third-party scheduling
• More proactive inspection programs

What Is the Overall ROI of Using ROVs for Inspections?

At SaskWater, ROV inspections using Deep Trekker systems are used to reduce inspection time, improve safety, and support maintenance planning across clean water assets.

“Saving a huge amount of time and money, I think, is the big one.”

From an operational perspective, ROI is driven by:

• Reduced inspection time (minutes vs. hours)
• Elimination of diver deployment
• Avoidance of unnecessary dewatering
• Lower safety risk exposure
• Improved maintenance planning

Long-term impact is reflected in improved asset decision-making, with the ability to assess infrastructure conditions in real time and extend operational planning forecasts based on actual inspection results.

“It’s all about saving time and money… Being able to throw the Deep Trekker in there and just look at everything and go, okay, well, we can go another year or two. We don’t need to actually clean it this year. Then you’re able to actually pre-plan for two years: hey, we need to do the cleaning in a couple years here. So you’re able to get a longer interval between cleanings and save some costs that way.”

Deep Trekker’s Expert Guidance and Custom Solutions

Our team of experienced professionals supports the integration of submersible robotic systems across a range of applications, including pipeline and infrastructure inspections, water tank maintenance, salvage operations, underwater surveys, search and recovery, aquaculture, environmental monitoring, and marine research. We work to align system configuration with specific operational requirements and project goals.

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