Water quality is a top priority for our Water Resources Department. Work performed at the Water Treatment Plant is just one step in the process. The next step involves delivering that high-quality water through 730 miles of water mains. Since 2018, the oldest of these mains have been receiving an upgrade, and Water Resources (WR) is now in the third phase of this project.
WR staff developed this water main rehabilitation program to ensure the continued reliability of GUC’s water distribution system. Phase one involved assessing and prioritizing the rehabilitation needs within the system. Subsequent phases involve rehabbing the mains based on need and availability of funds. Many of the water mains near the Downtown Greenville area were identified as the first installed on the GUC system and in most need of attention.
There are many ways to fix pipes, with the most obvious being to replace them. GUC has chosen to rehabilitate them using a trenchless technology method, avoiding the need to dig up the old mains and replace them.
Third Phase, New Technology
For the first construction phase of the project, the method used by our contractors involved inserting a cured-in-place pipe liner into the existing pipes. The liner is made of a composite material that gives the pipe a new structure, like a new pipe within the existing pipe. Communities have been using various methods of lining successfully for about 40 years, and this method is expected to last 50 years.
During this third phase of the project, contractors are using a durable epoxy lining material, which is applied in a different manner.
“We’re now using a spray-in-place liner,” said Travis Welborn, WR Systems Engineer overseeing this phase of the project. “With the spray method, we don’t have to reinstate services or replace tees and other fittings, which are where two mains intersect. This saves us time and money. It’s also the first time we have rehabbed cement mains. With the other construction phases, we focused our attention on the old cast iron mains.”
Before installing the liner on each section of main, the contractor removes any buildup of sediment inside the mains that can reduce water flow and pressure over time.
To keep our water customers in service with little to no interruptions while work is being performed on each section, an above-ground bypass water system is installed.
This phase of the rehabilitation project is primarily funded by a $5 million grant from the American Rescue Plan Act that is distributed by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality – Division of Water Infrastructure.
