Underground Infrastructure is Getting a Major Upgrade, and AI is Leading the Way

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Walnut Creek, CA – September 9, 2025 – Ahead of WEFTEC 2025, SewerAI is unveiling new insights into the underground infrastructure market that underscore a major shift: utilities, contractors, and engineering firms are moving past curiosity and into adoption of AI-driven inspection and asset management.

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Industry at a Crossroads

Across North America, utilities face mounting pressures: aging infrastructure, workforce retirements, and shrinking budgets. The ASCE’s 2025 Infrastructure Report Card gave U.S. wastewater systems a D+, citing a nearly $700B funding gap by 2033. Meanwhile, a Black & Veatch survey found 58% of utilities prioritize asset monitoring and management as their top digital investment — but most acknowledge they are not leveraging existing data effectively (62% are not).

A New Independent Study Confirms: AI is Leading the Way

A newly released third-party market analysis has confirmed what SewerAI customers already know: the company is setting the industry standard for speed, accuracy, and ROI in underground infrastructure management. 

Respondents spanned utilities of every size, contractors, and engineering firms — representing organizations serving millions of residents to those managing smaller regional systems. The findings provide a clear window into how decision-makers are prioritizing technology and why AI adoption is accelerating.

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Key Findings Reveal:

• AI is top of mind – More than two-thirds of organizations are actively evaluating or adopting automation and AI for inspections, citing speed, accuracy, and cost savings as the biggest drivers. “It used to take 40–60 hours of watching video on 5k ft of pipe. Now, we can review in less than a day with SewerAI,” said a VP at a water infrastructure contracting firm.
• SewerAI stands out – Among industry vendors, SewerAI has emerged as one of the most recognized names in the market. Customers rank it highest for detection accuracy, ease of use, and AI capabilities, and 70% of non-customers plan to evaluate or adopt SewerAI in the future – the highest adoption intent among competitors. “SewerAI is easy to use, so user friendly. It’s something you can get used to quickly, and makes it easy for our field team to operate,” said a municipal engineer.
• Retention speaks volumes – Once adopted, SewerAI shows leading retention vs. competitors (92% of adopters retained over the last 12 months), with customers citing measurable ROI, integrations, and customer service as the main reasons.
• On key purchasing criteria, SewerAI outperforms all competitors, particularly excelling on detection accuracy, UI / UX, and AI capabilities
• All SewerAI customers indicate a high likelihood of continuing to use the product – main drivers for continued use include strong detection accuracy, continued product improvements, great customer service (>1 min live response time), and ease of use 
• The ROI is real – Customers report eliminating 40–60 hours of video review per 5,000 ft of pipe, detecting 25–35% more defects, and saving six figures annually in labor costs. “With SewerAI, we immediately receive a recommended execution plan with prioritized repairs, which means we no longer need to hire an engineering firm as an added step,” said a wastewater department head at a public utility.

The Force Multiplier Utilities Need

“Utilities and contractors know they need to do more with less,” said Matthew Rosenthal, Co-Founder and CEO at SewerAI. “The future of underground infrastructure is built on better data and smarter decisions. SewerAI is leading that shift with superhuman speed and accuracy in defect detection, modern user experience, and seamless GIS and CMMS integrations.”

Industry headwinds—including a looming $690B funding gap in wastewater and stormwater infrastructure (ASCE) and half the workforce set to retire in the next decade—are accelerating digital adoption. 

SewerAI’s expansion comes as spending on digital water solutions is projected to grow more than 8% annually (Bluefield Research), with asset management and inspection at the center of modernization efforts.

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See SewerAI at WEFTEC 2025

These findings come at a pivotal moment, as the industry gathers at WEFTEC 2025 to explore the future of water and wastewater. SewerAI will showcase how these trends are already taking shape in the field, with live demonstrations, customer insights, and opportunities to connect with industry leaders.

• Booth #7515: Live demos of SewerAI’s inspection, risk, and asset management suite.
• PIONEERs After Dark: The SewerAI Rooftop Celebration: Tuesday, September 30th from 5:30–8:30 PM. RSVP here. 

For more information, visit www.sewerai.com.

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For media inquiries or more information about meeting SewerAI at WEFTEC, contact:

Mikayla Davis

Sr. Marketing Manager

SewerAI

press@sewerai.com

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About SewerAI

SewerAI is transforming underground infrastructure management with AI and cloud‑based solutions that make sewer inspections faster, smarter, and more cost‑effective. Municipalities, contractors, and engineers use SewerAI to unlock actionable insights, extend asset life, and reduce risk. Headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, SewerAI serves clients throughout North America. Learn more at www.sewerai.com.