Rehabilitation of an 8-in. AC Water Supply Line of a Fish Hatchery at Lake Whatcom, Washington: Fid-Bau Portal

Rehabilitation of an 8-in. AC Water Supply Line of a Fish Hatchery at Lake Whatcom, Washington

Costa, Regina / Wilkinson, Randy

With a greater focus on environmental issues today, one can look to trenchless technologies, both new and old, to avoid emissions, environmental impact, and use of machinery in sensitive areas. In the case of this unique project in the Pacific Northwest, an aramid fiber fabric (commonly known as Kevlar) reinforced pipe was chosen as a trenchless rehabilitation method over dig and replace as well as other alternative trenchless methods. Depending on the environment and host pipe condition, the varied options for trenchless rehabilitation of pipelines should always be considered when tackling a new or uniquely difficult old pipe. In the Pacific Northwest, a Washington State-owned Hatchery used by the Department of Fish and Wildlife had several water pipelines in need of rehabilitation or replacement. Due to the existing condition of the pipes, their locations in difficult to access areas, and the sensitive nature of the environment, a trenchless method was decided upon for the trenchless rehabilitation of the lines. The chosen material utilizes a Kevlar-reinforced polyethylene pipe to line long sections of pipe with only two small pits being required. The capability of the technology to navigate multiple sharp bends and its NSF-61 certification was additionally critical in its selection. The project was completed in an expeditious manner in a matter of days.