Waterford Township Upgrades Water Security with IP Video

Zalud’s Blog has discovered that Waterford Township, Mich., uses IQeye megapixel cameras as part of a comprehensive IP video solution to better protect its valuable water resources.

Tallahassee, Florida-based Mainline Information Systems was selected to provide video surveillance consulting, solution design, and integration. As suggested by its name, water makes up 11 percent of Waterford Township's 36 square miles. The Township’s Department of Public Works (DPW) Water and Sewer Division treats and distributes high-quality potable water to residential, commercial, and industrial customers through the utilization of 18 wells, 11 water treatment plants, 355 miles of water main, and 8.25 million gallons of storage.

To protect these critical resources, the DPW began implementation back in 2003 of a multi-phased broadband wireless system to provide the township with high-speed wireless connectivity, including links to remote water and sewer facilities. This early project phase included a number of VGA-quality video surveillance cameras located at various water treatment, storage, and sewer facilities to stream real-time video back to DPW’s main office for monitoring and recording purposes.

Recently, DPW Director Terry Biederman participated in an Oakland County Homeland Security Grant program to upgrade and augment the system with high-definition cameras and an advanced software viewing and recording package. Mainline designed a computerized monitoring system that includes IQinVision megapixel cameras, JDS Softsite32 Enterprise video management software, and Mainline professional services. The IQeye 2-megapixel smart cameras combine video analytics with high quality HD video in the camera.

JDS Softsite32 software is used to manage the cameras. Biederman noted that the IQeye 2-megapixel resolution cameras “provide higher quality recording, allowing us to zoom in on an area and get more detail even on recorded video.” The IQeye cameras can resolve minute detail while recording event-based situations, and can be controlled by a computer on which objects can be tracked semi-automatically.

The system is programmed to alert DPW personnel, via e-mail to a desktop or hand-held device, that an event has occurred by sending a series of crystal-clear IQeye images or a 15-second video clip within five seconds of the event. Combined with the DPW’s advanced Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system, which provides intrusion and motion alarms at facilities, the system provides highly actionable information for a timely, specific response.