Repairing Sanitary Pipe That Had A 6 Inch Hole

HydraTite® (Internal Joint Seal System)

Market
Municipal/Sanitation

Challenge
A sanitary line in California developed a hole that was allowing exfiltration. The 6” hole was in the 2 o’clock position in a short 54” steel cylinder pipe that ran through a concrete channel. The pipe had been lined and coated in epoxy, but the corrosion continued to degrade the pipe. An internal repair was needed that could be implemented quickly during the low flow period for the plant, between 3:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Due to this restriction achieving the ideal environment for epoxy coating was not feasible.

Engineered Solution
A double-wide seal with an 18” stainless steel backing plate was chosen for the repair due to the minimal surface preparation needed, the quick installation, and how easily the seal could be tested for quality control purposes.

Scope
The sanitary line was shut down at 5:00 a.m. and installation began at 6:00 a.m. First, the epoxy lining had to be removed. After a uniform surface was achieved, the backing plate was positioned to cover the hole. Finally, the seal was locked in place so that the rubber ribs were positioned on either side of the backing plate. The installation was completed at 10:00 a.m.

Solution
After the seal was installed the flow increased but exfiltration did not resume. HydraTite rehabilitated the system and sealed the leak.