Pre-Chlorinated Pipe Bursting
2" through 16" Water Main Replacement
Pre-chlorination eliminates the need for temporary water services. The HDPE pipe is bacteriologically disinfected and pressure tested above grade prior to installation, allowing it to be placed into service immediately after installation.
A Better Value in Water Main Replacement
Read the latest article from Municipal Sewer & Water Magazine:
"When Englishman Andy Mayer first visited the U.S. in 1999, he was shocked that such an advanced country was still using 20-ton excavators with 4-foot-wide buckets to install 6-inch pipe through the middle of subdivisions. He immediately saw the need for pre-chlorinated pipe bursting. Read more.
The method of pre-chlorinated pipe bursting has a history that extends many decades as the process was first adapted by water companies in the U.K. It has become a preferred method of replacement in Europe, with over 100 million feet replaced to date. The method utilizes HDPE pipe and entails the pre-assembly and testing of approximately 300 to 600 foot lengths of pipe above grade at a nearby staging location. This work is completed in advance of pipe bursting operations. Once the pipe string is proven to be sound by the testing and disinfection procedures, bursting operations can begin. In the area of water main being replaced, a series of small excavations are made and the new pipe is pulled into place by pipe bursting the existing main. A post-chlorination and flushing of the main is then performed and the new line is connected into the distribution system.
Ultimately, all services are connected into the new main and the surface area is backfilled to preconstruction grade. The entire process is completed within a single day, 6 to 8 hours, thereby minimizing the disruption to area residents.
The pre-chlorinated pipe bursting process was first introduced to North America by Andy Mayer, President of Murphy Pipeline Contractors in 1999. The following year, the FL DEP in conjunction with AWWA approved the method which is now a standard replacement process utilized across North America. Over 40 states in the US, including 3 Canadian provinces have approved the method. Today, this technology is being used by communities across North America as a solution to their aging water infrastructure.
Residents connected to the main being replaced that day only experience a 6- to 8-hour interruption in water service before being reconnected. Crews typically begin preparations around 7 a.m. and by noon the new pre-chlorinated HDPE is in place. Between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., residents are reconnected to the water system. At the end of each day, pits are backfilled to grade. By the end of each week, a restoration crew completes final grass and road restoration.
