Evergy Distribution Manhole Inspection Program

Evergy serves more than 1.7 million residential, commercial and industrial electric customers in Missouri and Kansas, with a service territory covering 28,130 square miles. The utility owns more than 10,100 miles of transmission lines and approximately 52,000 miles of distribution lines. Any disruption of service could affect thousands of its users, so it is vital that the utility be proactive in maintaining its infrastructure.

Evergy established its ongoing Distribution Manhole Inspection Program to identify electrical, structural, and maintenance issues within the distribution system to comply with mandatory statewide inspections, make proactive repairs and improve long-term capital planning. The program requires approximately 710 structures across Missouri and Kansas to be inspected on an annual basis. 

Historically, manhole structure inspections required human confined space entry to observe and collect data on the electrical components of the distribution system. These structures may sometimes be filled with water and require pumping/dewatering before field technicians can descend into them. Significant training, safety documentation, and extreme care are required by field staff to complete these inspections. In response, Evergy made it a priority to find a safer and more efficient method to complete the inspections and refine the overall Distribution Manhole Inspection Program. 

Evergy selected TREKK to help achieve its vision. TREKK has performed thousands of investigations on sub-surface manhole infrastructures. The need for a safer way to collect subsurface conditions in hazardous environments led to the development of the firm’s TREKK360 unmanned entry technology.

TREKK360 allows technicians to conduct safer and more efficient remote inspections from the surface, leveraging 360-degree imaging and infrared camera technology. This eliminated the need for confined space entry and significantly reduced the time required to complete inspections. 

TREKK also developed data systems and platforms to deliver data directly into Evergy’s computerized maintenance management system. Overall, the new technology has reduced safety risks and the overall cost of the inspection program.