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City highlights in-house sewer CCTV program and 'Broomhilda' street-sweeper innovation; reports cost savings
Summary
The council recognized two city-led productivity projects: a Bureau of Sanitation pilot to perform closed-circuit television (CCTV) sewer inspections in-house that reduced contractor costs by 20–35%, and a Fleet Services device dubbed 'Broomhilda' that contains broom fibers and reduces injury risk and costs for street sweeper maintenance.
The Los Angeles City Council on April 28 recognized two operations projects that city staff and labor-management teams said reduced costs and workplace risk.
Judith Wilson, general manager of the Bureau of Sanitation, introduced a joint labor-management effort to bring closed-circuit television sewer inspection in-house. Wilson and Bureau staff reported the city covers about 6,500 miles of sewer serving roughly 4 million people; previous contracted CCTV inspections cost about $1.10 per foot and totaled more than $1 million annually. Bringing CCTV work in-house and reorganizing dispatch, routing and technician procedures produced reported savings of 20–35% and projected annual savings of about $265,000, the bureau said.
Assistant General Manager Toni DeClu and Fleet Services staff presented a separate operational innovation that staff nicknamed “Broomhilda.” The City’s fleet services rebuilt street-sweeper brooms in-house and developed a containment rig that sits on a refuse truck so used broom fibers are deposited directly into a hopper rather than being released into the air during removal. The device reduces cleanup and employee exposure to flying debris and yields an estimated $4,600 in annual savings.
Both efforts were presented as examples of how cross-department teams and front-line technicians can redesign workflows to save money and reduce risk. Bureau staff said the CCTV program used three-shift operations, including a graveyard shift, and emphasized ongoing field feedback to refine processes. Fleet staff described Broomhilda as a simple mechanical fixture developed with GSD welders that contained released bristles and allowed quicker refitting of broom hubs on-site.
These projects were recognized during the council’s productivity-improvement presentations; the council acknowledged the teams involved but did not take separate formal votes on the projects beyond the agenda’s commendations and presentations.
