Concept Memo on Inter-Aquifer or Surface Water Transfer

Unfortunately, the spatial location of human occupance doesn’t always overlap the geographic position where a body of water occurs naturally.  How many times has it been said, “There is an ocean of good water just over there; if we could just get that water over here where it’s needed?”  Cities large and small are fighting for water rights and to have access to a higher volume of water to support demands for growth.  Water is at the crux of the growth war.  The Central Texas region has many concerns: growth management, transportation, and escalating taxes to support the infrastructure and improvements people are demanding.  But sustainable growth is dependent on sustainable water and that entails securing another resource for water.  Without more water, we will not have sustainable growth; we cannot attract and accommodate new industry, local governmental services will continue to depend on tax revenues from existing businesses and homes and transportation issues cannot be addressed without more revenue or without raising taxes.  The collective taxpaying citizens will have to bear the cost to improve a large scale supply of water to satisfy the demands of the masses.

Meeting the demands of growth must be solved by the collective taxpaying citizens in need of improving a large scale supply of water to be economically feasible.  If the lines were in existence and the easements were already in place, a mechanism for transporting water would simplify moving water from a relatively undeveloped region with abundant water to a more urbanized area with diminishing water resources.  Population statistics indicate the rural demands for water are diminishing as our culture becomes more urbanized.  The aquifers were once needed for farming and ranching activities are now needed by the relocation of populace to the city.  

Reservoirs are expensive to build and can be the target for protest by groups focused on maintaining an unaltered environment.  But how can inter-aquifer or surface water transfers be accomplished economically over vast distances without a preexisting network?  Discovering a viable means to move the water, utilizing new technology for the physical plant, the role of computer generated modeling, legislation of water law and other legal implications to the consumers and property owners including acquiring easements are several factors to be considered.

Running pipelines over vast distances has been promoted, but the expense prohibits it from becoming reality.  Repurposing abandoned gas and oil pipelines modified to transport raw water to municipalities will alleviate the demands on the groundwater.  This method will meet the needs of a community, save money in labor and materials, and environmental resources. 

For any real progress in modifying existing pipelines, knowing the history of their origin and use is important.  The following excerpt has been included from the online edition of Trenchless International.

The EPA will invest $US10 million in the Aging Water Infrastructure Research Program to evaluate new technologies that will assist utilities in coping with aging and failing water and wastewater systems in the United States.

Undertaken by the US Water Environment Research Foundation, research efforts will examine innovative tools and procedures to improve the maintenance, rehabilitation, and replacement of the aging sewer lines, water mains, and other components that constitute water and wastewater infrastructure in a cost effective manner. Research efforts will focus on four key areas:

·         Condition assessment for water and wastewater conveyance systems

·         System rehabilitation for water and wastewater conveyance systems

·         Advanced design and engineering concepts

·         Innovative treatment technologies for wastewater, stormwater, water reuse and drinking water.

Executive Director of WERF Glenn Reinhardt said “The innovative tools and cost-effective solutions that will be developed through this research should provide some welcomed assistance in their ongoing efforts to serve the public and improve water quality.”

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Aging Water Infrastructure Research Program is a research agenda that supports efforts to put aging infrastructure in the US on a pathway towards sustainability.

The research program was established by the EPA in 2009 following a study undertaken by the American Society of Civil Engineers which graded the US wastewater and drinking water infrastructure as a D minus. The analysis prompted President Barack Obama to invest $US6 million in the nation’s water and wastewater networks.

“Much of our water infrastructure is approaching the end of its useful life,” said Thomas Speth, Director of the National Risk Management Research Laboratory's Water Supply and Water Resources Division.

“Working co-operatively with the water utility industry and researchers from within EPA and universities will help identify a new generation of technologies to determine the condition of the pipes, improve rehabilitation techniques, and optimise replacement schedules,” Mr Speth said (February 2010, http://trenchlessinternational.com/news).

Water systems have been supplying individual families with water for centuries through a maze of assorted materials.  Ancient civilizations carried water through aquaducts and systems made from natural stone, clay and lead.  Inadequate supply even then became a burden to overcome as population and growth increased.  It has not been uncommon for smaller water plants to converge, interconnecting existing systems and users.  In 1824, the United States Army Corps of Engineers became the nation’s water resources manager.  Planning became a designated responsibility in 1850.  It wasn’t until the 1960s that water resource planning began to be considered.  An attempt was made to forecast the future needs and then formulate a plan to deliver the water needed for growth.  However, for all of the positive planning undertaken, little concern was given for regional planning.  Solving problems for one area carelessly omitted the impacts caused for the surrounding region and how to supply the water eventual growth would demand.

History

New techniques in pipe rehabilitation were originally developed in England to enhance the life of existing gas pipelines without disrupting existing buildings.  Portland Utilities Construction Company has written a concise history of who began pipe bursting leading to many other innovative methods to extend the life of various types of underground utilities.

The pipe bursting method was derived from the concepts found in pneumatic piercing tools. These tools have been widely used since the 1960s. In 1981, Contractors DJ Ryan and Sons LTD along with British Gas (now Advantica Technologies) successfully ran a piercing tool through an existing cast iron gas line in England and pipe bursting was born.

At the time, there was a great deal of aging cast iron gas mains that needed to be replaced. Being able to replace those lines without open cutting narrow streets and sidewalks and possibly damaging historic locations was very appealing. In addition, both the gas and water markets in Europe were ripe for small diameter pipe bursting.

The basic idea behind pipe bursting is simple. During the process a bursting tool is guided an existing fracturable pipe by a constant tension winch. The tool is often equipped with an expander that is larger than the existing or host pipe. As the tool travels through the host pipe its percussive action effectively breaks apart the pipe. The expander forces the fragments into the surrounding soil while the new pipe is pulled in simultaneously. 

The big push for pipe bursting in the U.S. began in the late 1980s and early 1990s in the sewer market. Municipalities around the United States have been looking for ways to mitigate Inflow and Infiltration problems in their sanitary and storm sewer systems, in order to meet environmental standards and optimize treatment capacity levels.

Many improvement and advancements in pipe bursting equipment have taken place since its initial development. Pipe bursting equipment design specifically for lateral replacement is now available. In addition, powerful static bursting equipment has made bursting ductile iron and steel pipe possible.  http://www.pucc.org/basics/history.html

Pipe Rehabilitiation Techniques

Repurposing existing mains is the basis for this theory to utilize infrastructure already in place but no longer in service.  Cost is not the only savings this method embraces.  The savings in time and environmental resources may outweigh the monetary benefits.  Both slip lining and pipe bursting are cost effective in rehabilitating utility line infrastructure.  Slip lining is a method of pulling new pipe through an existing pipe with little to minimal interruption.  It creates a new interior preventing toxic leaching into the substance being carried and sealing leaks the original pipe may have developed.  The slip lining process typically involves cleaning the original pipe of decay or deposits to open it for maximum flow.  Pipe bursting uses the original pipe as a pig for a new, sometimes larger diameter pipe.  The original pipe is burst open being absorbed into the immediate soil with a new pipe installed in its place also with little to minimal interruption to above ground.  The following slip lining and pipe bursting contractors describe their techniques in either process.

Slip lining Contractors

Smart Pipe

Smart Pipe ® is a high strength, light weight, monitored reinforced thermoplastic pipe that can be used for the rehabilitation of an existing pipeline, or as a stand alone replacement. The key feature of the technology that underlies Smart Pipe ® is the use of ultra high strength fibers that are wrapped onto a high density polyethylene core pipe. Through the selection of the fibers, the lay angles, and their sizes, Smart Pipe ® can be specially tailored for any given condition in terms of design pressure, pull-in length (for a rehabilitation), and safe operating duration. The exceptional strength/weight properties of various ultra high strength fibers are provided in the following tabulation for illustrative purposes.

It is designed and developed in accordance with the API Recommended Practice 15S “Qualification of Spoolable Composite Pipe.”

It is simultaneously manufactured and installed (using trenchless technology) as a tight fit liner in up to 50,000 feet of an underground pipeline without any disruption of the surface areas covering the pipeline (except for a small opening at the entry and exit points of the pipeline section being lined); restores the subject pipeline to its full pressure service rating, renews the projected service life of the subject pipeline to like new or better than new condition, and in most cases does so without diminishing the flow rates through the line despite the nominal reduction in inside diameter of the pipeline that occurs due to the presence of the liner; and provides the operator of the pipeline with continuous monitoring and inspection features to assure safe operation of the line throughout the renewed operating life of the pipeline and to provide compliance with the regulations now emerging under the various Pipeline Safety Acts.  http://www.smart-pipe.com

Oxford Plastics

Oxford Plastics manufactures heavy duty plastic pipe for trenchless methods like sliplining or insertion renewal … to rehabilitate deteriorating pipe by inserting a smaller pipe into an existing pipe. As a trenchless method, sliplining can be applied to either pressure or gravity pipelines. Water, sanitary and storm sewers can be renewed with minimum excavation. When done properly, sliplining ensures that the rehabilitated pipe and lateral connections are leak-tight, corrosion resistant, and capable of even greater flow rates.

In the sliplining process, a winch cable is inserted through the existing line and then attached to the front of the new liner. The new liner pipe is then pulled into the existing pipe, and the new liner pipe reconnected to the system. If needed, the void between the new and old pipes can be filled by grouting.

Benefits:

Sliplining can be used on most types of pipe.

·         It is rapid and causes little disturbance to other utilities.

·         It works the best with few connections.

·         It improves hydraulic performance because of an improved friction coefficient

·         It can be installed in live lines without bypass pumping.

Drawbacks:

·         When the new pipe is pulled into an existing pipe, there is a reduction in the inside diameter which means a loss of cross-sectional capacity. This limits the process to pipe sizes of 8 to 96 inches in diameter.

·         Sliplining requires a long area of space for assembly.

·         There is an added cost of jointing techniques when limited to using short pipe lengths.

·         Poorly applied grouting can lead to buckling.

·         Many excavations are required if there are too many service and branch reconnections involved.

·         Sliplining does not work well in pipelines with a lot of elbows.

http://www.oxfordplasticsinc.com

American Pipe Lining

American Pipe Lining claims, “The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services postulates that lead is the number one environmental threat to our childrens' health, with increasing exposure rates caused by the continued consumption of water from aging, corroded potable water systems, many of which are still fitted with original lead-based plumbing fixtures. American Pipe Lining's epoxy system will provide a permanent protective barrier within the pipe halting the further leaching of these and other harmful elements.”

The in-place pipe restoration process developed by American Pipe lining, Inc. is an economical and efficient alternative to traditional pipe system replacement. Our proprietary technology allows us to restore aged, corroded piping systems in-place to a "better than new" condition without the use of chemicals or mechanical devices. The epoxy coating applied to the pipes' interior, seal and protects the system from further deterioration and dramatically extends system life. The process can be used on a variety of pipe material including galvanized steel, cast/black iron, copper and lead.

The American Pipe Lining method uses heated conditioned air to move a non-toxic abrading agent through designated pipe runs and segments. The movement of the agent through the pipe dislodges the corrosion buildup and transports it to an exit opening in the pipe where it is collected in a cyclonic grit unit and secondary dust collection system. The waste corrosion product is non-toxic and easily disposed of without any harm to the environment. The result is a clean, rust-free polished surface inside the pipe. Following pipe cleaning, a potable water safe, NSF61- certified liquid epoxy is distributed through the piping using heated controlled air flow to facilitate optimal adhesion and curing. The coating will cure within 12-24 hours, after which time the system is re-assembled and returned to service next day. The result is a smooth and durable finish resistant to further corrosion and deterioration.  http://www.ampipelining.com/

A study was conducted in Korea for lining potable water pipes using cured in place pipe rehabilitation effectively.  This is the process of tightly inserting a liner into an existing pipe.  It is generally used for gravity flow pipes such as those used in sewer and storm sewers. The pipeline should be cleaned by jetting to remove loose dirt, debris or grease.  Calcite or other hard deposits can be removed by flailing, reaming or robotic cutting.  The liner is inserted through pre-existing manholes or other openings.  The pipes may be suitable for transporting potable water if the applied CIPP is made from unsaturated polyester resin (ND-284) and a polyethylene-felt tube.   Inserting the liner is achieved through a process of using air pressure, water pressure or pulling the liner through using a pig from one opening to the next.   Continuous pressure must be maintained through the installation to assure a tight fit.  Hot water, steam or hot mist generated by an onsite boiler unit is circulated within the liner to cause the tubes outer resin to adhere to the existing pipe.  This has been found to be a reliable method in setting the liner in ductile iron pipe previously used for potable water.  www.iattmed.com/pdf/s3_11_Myong.pdf.   Information has not confirmed the viability this method could be used in pipes previously used for other purposes.

Pipe Bursting Contractors

Titan Technologies

The Grundocrack® is placed into the host pipe at an entry pit or manhole. A constant tension Grundowinch®, based at the exit area pit and attached to the head of the tool, guides it through the host pipe. Continuous percussion from the pneumatic tool fractures the host pipe.

The Grundocrack effectively hammers its way through the host pipe, displacing the fragments into the surrounding soil, while simultaneously pulling the new pipe, usually High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), into place behind it. (For more information on HDPE pipe, visit ISCO Industries, LLC.) Pipebursting is the only trenchless method of replacement that allows for the upsizing of the original pipe.

The Grundowinch plays a key roll in pipebursting operations. The constant tension, variable speed Grundowinch makes adjustments for conditions that affect line speed during operation, providing constant and consistent pulling force and preventing slack from developing in the line. Twin capstans protect the cable and cable drum from extreme stress levels. The Grundowinch essentially guides the tool through the host pipe.

Several factors dictate whether pipebursting is appropriate for the rehabilitation of a failed line. These considerations include host pipe material, diameter, condition, depth, length, new pipe diameter, soil conditions, peripheral utilities and service connections. The Grundocrack can be used to burst fracturable pipes (cast iron, clay, concrete, RCP, ABS and some plastics) with diameters between 4 and 54 inches.

http://www.tttechnologies.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oxford Plastics

Oxford Plastics manufactures heavy duty hdpe pipe for trenchless methods like pipe bursting. Pipe bursting is a relatively new trenchless method which allows you to replace existing utility, water, gas and sewer piping that is either worn out or incapable of meeting the needs of a growing community.

Imagine being able to replace the entire water supply and drainage system of a city without causing a major traffic jam and incurring the enormous cost of restoring your streets and roads. That is the promise of trenchless technologies like pipe bursting.

The Piping Problem

No matter where you go, water, sewer, gas and other utilities are in a constant state of deterioration or incapable of meeting the rising needs of urban areas where population growth is a problem. In most cases, water lines have become corroded to the point where they are wasting water and incapable of meeting water supply requirements. Gas lines are often made of cast-iron which not only leaks, but is incapable of handling higher capacity or pressure requirements. Because they transport aggressive and corrosive material, most sewer lines are often cracked or corroded to the point that they cannot transport the waste material without stoppages and leaking into the environment. The biggest problem is that most of these pipelines are located in overcrowded cities, under buildings, roadways, rivers where replacement by traditional open-trench methods is not a plausible option.

A Piping Solution

Pipe bursting represents the ideal pipe rehabilitation solution for replacing and upsizing the capacity of existing pipelines while avoiding the economic and social costs of traditional methods. Pipe bursting is the only trenchless process that enables a city to revitalize its piping system without extensive excavation and traffic stoppages.

The Pipe Bursting Process

Pipe bursting involves using a winch to pull a heavy duty polyethylene pipe through an old pipeline of equal or smaller size. The old pipeline is shattered using a high-powered tool with special bursting heads that smash through the old pipe while pulling through the new replacement pipe. When pulled into the old pipe, the bursting head breaks the pipe into pieces, enlarges the hole and pushes the fragments into the surrounding soil. This limits pipe bursting to pipes that can be fractured and to soil conditions that will absorb the old fragments.  

Developed for the natural gas industry in the late 1970s, pipe bursting has found new applications in the municipal area for replacement of watermains and gravity sewers. Recent advances in bursting head technology has produced three kinds of pipe bursting technology each of which uses a different bursting head: hydraulic, pneumatic or cone cracking. While the range of pipe size and length is constantly increasing, pipe rehabilitation projects have involved pipe diameters of 3" to as much as 30" and straight pulls of HDPE pipe as long as 1500 feet. As pipe bursting technology advances, different types of pipe material can be replaced. At the moment, pipe materials include vitrified clay pipe, asbestos cement pipe, truss pipe, reinforced and unreinforced concrete pipe, and cast iron pipe.

Advantages of Pipe Bursting

As a "no-dig process", pipe bursting is the perfect solution for a municipality looking to increase the capacity of its water supply pipes or to replace corroded and leaking sewer pipes. All of this is possible without extensive excavation and all the other costs of surface restoration. Because its trenchless, pipe bursting is the preferred method for replacing old pipes in urban areas where disruption to surrounding utilities, local residences, businesses and the environment are a consideration. An added benefit of using hdpe plastic pipe for pipe bursting is its suitability for non-pressure applications like sewer lines. Because of its smooth inner walls, hdpe pipe assures high gravity flow rates and minimizes the chances of developing stoppages.

Applications of HDPE Pressure Pipe

Our hdpe pressure pipe was manufactured for a wide range of industrial, commercial and residential applications. Our broad experience with industries from construction and waste to agriculture and mining, has helped us to develop pressure pipe and piping systems that can operate under great pressure and in very corrosive environments. This makes our pipe well suited for use as watermain, landfill collection pipe, drainage pipe in highway construction, agriculture, mining, and irrigation industries, and as industrial transfer pipe for abrasive materials. The physical toughness of this pipe, when combined with its light weight and flexibility, makes it perfect for those situations where trenchless technologies are required.  http://www.oxfordplasticsinc.com

Easements and Condemnation

Most pipelines have an existing easement permitting use and accessibility.  A legal change in the ownership and use from oil or gas to pure water would be required.  However, a modification from a toxic substance to water should not be protested by the property owners who will benefit from the water after owning the property with no protest of the lines with their former transmission.  Some property owners have found the line was abandoned, and vacated the easement or had the line removed completely.  In this case, a condemnation may be required to reinstall a section of line or find an alternate route for connection between two points. 

Best Practices and Cost Analysis

            Many good examples and testimonials are presented on individual websites by the companies offering these services.  The following four case studies have been selected to give a slightly different perspective on the benefits of rehabilitating utility lines and or the cost comparison of rehabilitating lines.

Case Study 1:

The City of Atlanta’s Water Main Replacement Program is designed to replace and rehabilitate aged and deteriorating water mains throughout the city. Many of the pipes in the system were installed in the early 1900s and are small in comparison to modern standards in water mains. The small size and age of the pipes, coupled with corrosion and sediment accumulation over the years, has affected the flow rate and quality of water in some Atlanta communities.

Since the program began in 2003, pipe replacement and rehabilitation has been completed in the Garden Hills community in Buckhead and the Capitol View community in southwest Atlanta. Replacement work is currently in progress on Spring Street in Georgia Tech’s Technology Square district and is scheduled for Virginia-Highland and the Midtown area in 2005 and 2006 respectively. Water main replacement work will also be included in the sewer separation projects that will take place in the Greensferry, McDaniel and Stockade sewer basins. neighbors. The Water Main Replacement Program is a part of the Clean Water Atlanta infrastructure program to provide clean, safe water to residents and downstream neighbors.

Over a 12 year period, the City of Atlanta will inspect, repair and where necessary, replace every foot of the 2,200 miles of sanitary sewers. This unprecedented $1.2 billion project is an integral part of the City’s comprehensive efforts to meet and surpass all federal and state water quality standards.

The successful completion of the Clean Water Atlanta projects will benefit Atlanta’s citizens and ratepayers, and our neighbors downstream and throughout the region by providing the infrastructure necessary to improve water quality and sustain Atlanta’s economic vitality.

The SSES project is the first step in bringing Atlanta’s aging sewer system up to world class/modern-day standards and protecting Atlanta ratepayers’ quality of life by eliminating Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs). Through the efforts of the SSES, approximately 60,000 manholes and 2,200 miles of sanitary sewers will be inspected for cracks, collapses, and blockages. After extensive investigation and documentation of defects is completed, a rehabilitation plan will be developed, identifying necessary sewer repairs and replacement. In severe situations, immediate repair may be required.

http://www.cleanwateratlanta.org/SewerRehab/technology/pipeburst.htm;   http://www.atlantawatershed.org/watrmain/watermain.htm

Case Study 2: 

The cost to the Town of Highland Park for clearing the easements, installing the new main with all appurtenances, grading and sodding was $103 per foot. This represented a savings of nearly 30 percent over previous open cut replacement in a similar area.The project was completed successfully on the anticipated schedule, at a lower cost per foot than previous open cut projects, and with minimal disruption to the residents. Replacement of cast iron water lines can be accomplished using pipe bursting techniques. In areas of limited access, pipe bursting not only provides a replacement solution with minimal disruption to residents, but is a cost effective alternative to traditional open cut installation.  http://www.rjn.com/PDFs_publications/PipeBurstingWaterlines.PDF

Case Study 3: 

Open cut method of pipe installation by a city “crew was estimated at $32.00/ft with main at 6 feet deep in an unpaved alley.  Increased depth increases cost proportionately due to labor and backfill material cost.”   Conversely, “pipe bursting with City of Brownwood crews estimated average is $19.25/ft for all materials, labor and fuel.”  If using an open cut method across private property is considered, the cost will be much greater to obtain easements and may not be attainable due to existing improvements.  http://www.tml.org/2009TMUA/HarrisPipeBursting.pdf

Case Study 4:

Based on its past success with pipe bursting, ALMU decided to go with this method for this particular project, replacing the vitrified clay pipe with HDPE. A small section of 10-in. PVC installed a few years ago would also be pipe bursted using the HDPE, as ALMU wanted to upsize the pipe diameter to 12 in. Auger boring would be used to cross 70 ft under a state highway, which carries a high volume of traffic.
The diameter of the original vitrified clay pipe was 10, 12, 15 and 18 in.; ALMU upgraded the lines using 10-, 12- and 14-in. HDPE. Gaydar says ALMU chose HDPE for the project because “it would provide a smoother area for the flow, as compared to the joints in a vitrified clay system.” “We did a pipe bursting project in 2006 and our bid price was half the cost compared to open-cut,” explains ALMU engineering services manager Jack Gaydar, P.S., P.E. “That’s why we are a proponent of trenchless technology. It’s a major cost factor in infrastructure rehabilitation. We need to be very cost-conscious with our ratepayers’ money and ensure that we get a quality product that is going to last for 100 years. Trenchless technology allows us to do that.”
Total cost for the trenchless and open-cut work on the project was $1.473 million.

http://www.trenchlessonline.com/index/webapp-stories-action?id=668

Conclusion

While converting the use from oil and gas transmission to water transmission with the new trenchless technology has never been introduced to the market, studies indicate potable water can be delivered by either lining the existing pipe or using the existing pipe as a conduit for laying new, highly impenetrable pipe to carry the water across vast distances.  The technology available today allows us to accommodate growth and development with earth conscious innovation.  Instead of congested urban areas drawing down aquifer levels; the sparsely populated, hinterlands with dwindling agricultural demands can transmit any excess water via repurposed pipelines.  Whether for supplemental purposes or to fully satisfy the aqueous demands, the pipeline is the future key to meeting water transmission problems we have in Texas.

 

 

Bibliography

http://www.ellingsoncompanies.com, 2011

Microbial Quality of Water Supply in Distribution Systems, 1996, Geldreich, Edwin E.

St. Mary's L.J. 1 (1986-1987) The Historical Background of Texas Water Law - A Tribute to Jack Pope; Baade, Hans W.

Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Infrastructure Management, Neil S. Grigg

 

© Copyright 2010 Peggy Jones; Reproduction prohibited without express written permission.

 

 

 

Related resources

Pipe Bursting Demonstration - Warrior Worldwide Trenchless Solutions

Trenchless Replacement Specialist pipe bursting Odessa TX