The Township of Waterford, Michigan, located 35 miles northwest of Detroit, has a
population of 74,000 living in the township’s 36 square miles. With water making up
11 percent of the township’s area, Waterford is one of four water resource
townships in Oakland County. The Township of Waterford Department of Public
Works (DPW) Water and Sewer Division treats and distributes high quality potable
water for residential, commercial and industrial use through the utilization of 18
wells, 11 water treatment plants, 355 miles of water main and 8.25 million gallons of
storage.
To protect this valuable resource, the DPW began implementation 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. The
implementation included 40 IP VGA Video surveillance cameras located at various
water treatment, storage and sewer facilities that stream real-time video back to the
main office for security viewing and recording purposes.
In 2007, DPW Director Terry Biederman participated in an Oakland County
Homeland Security Grant program to implement high-definition cameras and an
advanced software viewing and recording package to enhance the existing system
via a needed upgrade. Under this grant, Waterford and other Oakland County water
providers were able to purchase high-definition video surveillance cameras, monitors
and software to protect their water treatment and distribution facilities. The township
purchased 10 basic high-definition IP Video fixed-location cameras for five of its 11
water facilities.
The Challenge
Aware of the technological advances in closed circuit television (CCTV) technology
since 2003, Biederman understood the potential of upgrading the existing video
security system to provide a more effective and user-friendly system. With the grant,
he was able to integrate new cameras and software into the wireless technology
and broadband network that had already been built.
He sought not only to detect external and internal site intrusions near and in the
water facilities, but also to record the “who, what, when, where and how” of the
event. In addition, the new solution would need to leverage and repurpose the old
cameras in order to optimize the township’s previous investment. His goal was to
make the system more effective and efficient.
Mainline Information Systems™, an IBM Premier Business Partner, was selected by
the Homeland Grant Security Committee to provide video surveillance consulting,
solution design and integration. With Mainline’s expertise in computerized
monitoring, coupled with access to best-of-breed camera and peripheral technology
through the many leading brands it represents, Mainline is well-positioned to
provide a best-in-class video technology solution.
The Solution
The Mainline team designed a computerized monitoring solution that included
IQinVision high resolution cameras, Softsite 32 Enterprise video management
software and Mainline Professional Services.
Softsite32 Enterprise Video Management System
This software from JDS Digital Security Systems, another Mainline Business Partner, is an IP-based network video image management system. It provides a powerful and scalable enterprise series application suite with an efficient streaming engine that lowers total cost of ownership. Other features include IP intelligent video, network device licensing, video
analytics, device discovery and auto configuration. The software controls the cameras and provides for camera consolidation so the cameras work in concert. It is scalable, highly versatile and includes an extensive suite of supplemental applications.
IQinVision Cameras
These CCTV cameras, produced by IQinVision, a Mainline Business Partner, combine
video analytics with image sensors, high megapixels and network switching with
imaging capabilities. The small IQinVision high-definition 2 megapixel cameras (1600
x 1200 pixels) can focus to resolve minute detail while recording event-based
situations, and can be controlled by a computer on which objects can be tracked
semi-automatically. These “smart” video cameras can take a 15-second video of an
intrusion event and send it as an e-mail via Blackberry or other portable device to
field personnel within five seconds of the event.
Results
“Mainline takes computerized video monitoring to another level,” said Biederman. “They opened our eyes to camera,
software and lens differences and the importance of delineating a mission for each camera. The new 5 megapixel
resolution cameras (2592x1944 pixels) provide higher quality recording, allowing us to zoom in on an area and get more
detail,” he added.
“In addition, the solution provides closed circuit digital photography (CCDP), a new development in surveillance
technology,”
occurred and sends a series of five high-resolution jpeg photos at two-second intervals or a video clip of the event.”
Personnel know immediately what is going on. This solution, combined with the DPW’s advanced Supervisory Control
and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, which provides intrusion and motion alarms at facilities, results in timely, specific
response. In addition, this solution also provides the tools to easily monitor what is happening at all sites from a central
location.
“We continue to expand and leverage our broadband network to incorporate additional sites and cameras,” Biederman
explained. “We will eventually replace our original 40 IP VGA cameras with high definition cameras. The older cameras
are being redeployed to various locations including the DPW Facilities and Operations Division where they will cover
township buildings and grounds,” he added. “We are also beginning talks with the school district to expand the
broadband network and cameras into the schools and administrative buildings.”
“The Mainline team was a great partner in this project,” Biederman concluded. “They had the expertise to provide the
right camera, the right coverage and the right software for every video surveillance requirement we had.”
