A new technology introduced in Singapore could reduce the amount of silt and sediment that makes its way from construction sites into the country’s water systems, while saving construction companies time and labour costs. Currently, to monitor silt runoff into public drains, contractors assign workers to manually watch closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of drains, a labour-intensive way of carrying out the task. The new automated system, called the Silt Imagery Detection System, uses image recognition technology to analyse CCTV images. If muddied water is detected, contractors will receive an immediate alert. The system, developed by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research and run by the Public Utilities Board, would also free up construction workers for other tasks.
