If you’re in need of water main rehabilitation or underground pipe lining, or any other pipe rehabilitation project, you know that water quality is of the utmost importance. Safe, drinkable water quality should never be taken for granted. As pipes deteriorate over time and environmental threats evolve, contaminated tap water can become a significant risk to your community. Incidents such as the Flint, Michigan water crisis underline the real dangers to public health posed by compromised water sources.
When pipes are compromised, you can choose to dig them up and replace them – or you can often opt for potable water pipe lining to restore their original function. Wondering whether underground pipe lining is the right choice for your project? This article explores five key benefits of potable water pipe lining to consider as you plan your next project. The good news? Spray In Place Solutions (SIPS) is poised to deliver all of these benefits. Our state-of-the-art methods offer a safe, durable, and cost-effective alternative to open trenching pipe repair and replacement.
Common Threats to Water Safety and Quality
The American Water Works Association has identified three primary threat categories that municipal planners should know about. These common causes of poor water quality include:
- Sedimentation, which occurs when solid materials settle in pipes. When scaling develops inside pipes, sediment can then build up on the surface area created by the scale. Over time, this process can result in noticeably discolored or contaminated tap water.
- Scaling/Tuberculation, which refers to the development of mineral deposits on pipe interiors. The scaling process begins with chemical reactions between corroded pipes and materials present in the water supply. Often, iron-consuming bacteria also contributes to this reaction. This process is often most pronounced in aging pipes that lack effective linings.
- Biofilm, which builds up when bacteria are able to colonize deteriorating pipes. Biofilm can seriously impact the taste and smell of tap water, and it can cause excess iron from pipes to contaminate the water supply.
Why Underground Pipe Lining?
Pipes will inevitably break down over time. As the American water infrastructure continues to age, many municipal planners are faced with a choice: should existing pipes be completely replaced, or can they be rehabilitated to resolve leaks, contamination, and other serious problems? Traditional open trenching methods are costly, labor intensive, and disruptive. Spray In Place Solutions’s (SIPS) potable water pipe lining is the most advanced solution available for municipal pipe rehabilitation, as well as industrial, commercial and residential settings. Let’s take a look at a few of the benefits that make our potable water pipe lining unique.
Benefit #1: Unparalleled, Long-lasting Structural Integrity
Potable water lining provides a high degree of structural integrity within pipes. This is due in part to three significant factors:
- Spray-on epoxy lining can conform to fittings and other irregularities in pipe structure to provide a uniform coating. Spray In Place Solutions (SIPS) uses a revolutionary robotic spray application system to apply a perfectly smooth underground pipe lining at both horizontal and vertical angles.
- Spray-on epoxy water lining leaves laterals down to ¾ of an inch operating; there’s no need to re-cut laterals
- Epoxy potable water lining bonds effectively to pipe surfaces to provide a long-lasting barrier. As part of our process, Spray In Place Solutions (SIPS) uses a conical media application head to thoroughly clean pipes. Our method achieves the NACE number 2 cleanliness standard to ensure excellent adhesion.
- Spray In Place Solutions (SIPS) can provide varying thicknesses of epoxy coating as needed throughout a single pipe structure. By achieving optimal thickness, we’re able to bolster structural integrity and prevent disintegration.
Is potable water pipe lining really going to last over time? Spray In Place Solutions (SIPS) offers structural pipe rehabilitation with a 75 year engineered lifespan. Our high-build epoxy coating bonds like car paint to your interior pipe surfaces for optimal durability.
Benefit #2: Prevention of Leaks
Leaking water pipes can wreak havoc in your community. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, around 240,000 water main breaks happen every year in the US alone. Not only are money and resources wasted when treated water leaks into the ground, but these leaks can also pose significant health and structural hazards to their surroundings.
Spray In Place Solutions (SIPS) offers the most third-party tested high-build epoxy coating. Our unique Camera, Clean and Coat underground pipe lining process helps eliminate leaks by properly preparing surfaces before coating. We also examine the entire length of pipe using computerized cameras to ensure the quality of the application.
Benefit #3: A Barrier to Prevent Health and Safety Threats
After a pipe rehabilitation project, you need full assurance that the water will now be safe for consumption. How can you know whether your potable water pipe lining is actually providing high quality water?
Some so-called potable water pipe lining methods can introduce hazardous, carcinogenic fumes into homes and businesses. Cured-in-place (CIPP) pipe lining technology has been associated with harmful volatile and semivolatile compounds entering the water supply.
However, Spray In Place Solutions (SIPS) uses an epoxy lining that’s completely safe and nontoxic. Our material is certified compliant with ASTM 729 and with NSF/ANSI 61. This underground pipe lining not only keeps harmful substances from leaching into your water supply, but it also won’t introduce new threats to your pipes.
The Water Research Foundation has determined that epoxy coatings, like the one used by Spray In Place Solutions (SIPS), can be a powerful tool in the effort to reduce lead and other harmful contaminants in the public water supply. Our advanced rehabilitation methods provide unparalleled assurance that cross-contamination will not occur during the installation process. We also thoroughly inspect, monitor and assess our work from the beginning to the end of each project. This ensures that water potability will not be affected by improper surface preparation or application.
Benefit #4: Minimal Disruption to Environments and Communities
Open trenching causes significant disruption to the community. Traffic often has to be rerouted, businesses must be closed, and utilities customers often experience service disruptions. Sometimes, roads and pavement must be torn up. Costs can quickly mount, since teams must access the full pipe surface in order to remove and replace the whole system.
Spray In Place Solutions’ (SIPS) method is much less disruptive when compared to other more invasive methods. We thoroughly map the internal plumbing system and carefully plan for minimal disruption before starting our project. The curing process takes only 2-3 hours, after which pipes will be fully ready for use.
Spray In Place Solutions’ (SIPS) potable water pipe lining solution is also environmentally friendly. Without the large machinery associated with open trenching methods, or the noxious fumes associated with cured-in-place (CIPP) linings, our underground pipe lining will not harm wildlife or waste valuable resources.
Benefit #5: Flexibility to Address a Wide Range of Project Demands
One key benefit of potable water pipe lining is the flexibility it offers. Spray In Place Solutions (SIPS) can treat pipes with a diameter from 2” to 60.” We can also reline up to 700 linear feet in one pass. Whether pipes are horizontal or vertical – under an airline tarmac or a busy highway – we’ve got the equipment and expertise to handle the job.
Ready to Enjoy the Benefits of Spray In Place Solutions’ (SIPS) Underground Pipe Lining?
Spray In Place Solutions (SIPS) can install long-lasting, safe potable water pipe lining for 50% of the cost associated with dig and replace methods. In addition, our process takes only 15% of the time involved in open trenching pipe repair and replacement projects. Want to learn more about our underground pipe lining? Complete our Pipe Lining Questionnaire today and let’s get started!