Manual of Sewer Condition Classification (MSCC)
What’s inside the Sewer Condition Classification manual?
The Manual of Sewer Condition Classification (MSCC) is used by the UK water industry and other global organisations to classify defects in sewers. It is crucial to managing investment in over 500,000 km of public sewers and lateral drains in the UK.
The Manual of Sewer Condition Classification was first published in 1980 as a national standard defect coding system. The fourth edition, published in 2004, was a major update. It described the evolution and current use of the national equivalent coding system listed in BS EN 13508-2:2003. Additional codes in the fourth edition helped to maintain its relevance with emerging rehabilitation technologies, ensuring it remains current and useful.
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New information in the 5th edition includes
- guidelines for all codes used for the condition assessment of drains, sewers and chambers
- a simplified coding system as listed in the drain repair book 4th edition for domestic and light industrial drain inspection
- updates following BS EN 13508-2 as the UK Annex
- review of controls for CCTV camera set-up
- the need and approach to quality assurance of CCTV data.
The MSCC provides the basis for drain and sewer condition assessment in the UK and globally. Numerous international coding systems have used the manual to produce systems, notably the North American PACP system.
Fundamental support and insight for the industry
Understanding the condition of wastewater network assets is a fundamental to maintaining the performance of the drainage network. Condition assessment data provides the backbone for operations and asset management staff in managing and maintaining the wastewater network’s performance. It helps to reduce potential impacts of any failures on the public and environment.
Wastewater asset owners aim to reduce blockages, sewer flooding, pipe collapses and pollution incidents. Condition assessments are pivotal in developing proactive and strategic approaches for maintaining these key assets.
Gathering valuable asset intelligence from our wastewater network enables asset owners to help reduce the number of system failures. It enables accurate assessments regarding replacing or rehabilitating sewers.
Inspecting sewer conditions is an important feature of managing sewer and highway drainage systems. We use CCTV survey footage to identify defects and features in pipes and chambers. The surveys generate vast data that must be recorded, classified and used to inform tactical and strategic decisions by asset owners to maintain and improve network performance.
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