30-inch Diameter Influent Pipeline Rehabilitation

A wastewater treatment facility rehabilitated a deteriorating influent pipeline instead of replacing it, avoiding costly downtime. The solution extended the pipeline’s service life by more than 50 years.

Project Overview

30-inch pipeline
Vertical alignment extending 30 feet
Renewal extended service life by 50 years

Silicon Valley Clean Water (SVCW) operates a critical wastewater treatment facility serving a major metropolitan area. Condition assessments revealed significant wall-thickness loss in several internal pipelines, including the influent lines supplying the Fixed Film Reactors (FFRs). Timely rehabilitation was needed to maintain safe and reliable operations.

The project presented a unique challenge due to the pipeline’s configuration. Unlike conventional large-diameter horizontal pipelines, these influent lines were only 30 inches in diameter and extended vertically for approximately 30 feet. Limited access and the vertical orientation demanded an innovative approach.

Because the pipeline is essential to plant operations and tightly integrated within the facility, demolition and replacement would have been both costly and highly disruptive. Rehabilitation eliminated the need for a complex bypass system and avoided extended removal from service.

The StrongPIPE® V-Wrap™ Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) system was chosen, creating a new structural pipe within the existing one. This approach minimized internal diameter loss, allowed installation while the pipeline remained operational, and extended service life by more than 50 years.

To safely execute the work, STRUCTURAL deployed man-baskets lowered into the pipeline. This method required meticulous planning, including the use of counterweights to stabilize the baskets and prevent swaying as crews navigated the vertical alignment and multiple bends. Given the complexity, a full-scale mockup was constructed to validate procedures, train personnel, and ensure safe, successful field execution.

The rehabilitation of this critical pipeline ensured long-term reliability while protecting public health and environmental quality. By avoiding full replacement, the project achieved significant cost savings that can be reinvested into other infrastructure improvement initiatives.