San Jose Seeks $20M AI Sewer Scan in National Contract

The city of San Jose is on the hunt for a vendor to implement “an AI-powered sewer video analysis and defect coding solution” as part of a large cooperative purchasing agreement published earlier this month.

San Jose sets its estimated costs for the new system at $20 million, while the larger cooperative agreement is valued at approximately $50 million. Delaware-based OMNIA Partners, Public Sector, Inc. is hosting the national solicitation.

The work will include installation and integration with the city’s existing systems, as well as training, maintenance and support, according to the request for proposals (RFP).

This sort of technology has become increasingly sought after among municipalities, as they look to these tools to identify and diagnose problems with aging infrastructure, particularly roads, bridges and sewer networks.

Projects like this one are already underway in Houston; Raleigh, N.C.; and others.

In Houston, the city tapped SewerAI and its AutoCode solution to assess the accuracy of contractor submittals when the city needed to inspect some 6,200 miles of sewer system and more than 129,000 manholes, according to the company.

Raleigh’s Stormwater Division, meanwhile, is using a WinCan sewer inspection integration to conduct routine infrastructure inspections and maintenance work. That network consists of more than 35,500 storm drains and 609 miles of pipes and culverts.

In the case of the San Jose procurement, the contract will be awarded based on the best value and evaluation of the specifications, and the city’s local and small-business enterprise preference is applicable to this solicitation.

The solicitation, PUR-RFP2025.01.10020, is available here. Questions are due by 12 p.m. May 16. The RFP closes at 12 p.m. June 2.