Ontario Construction News staff writer
Utilities Kingston is continuing its annual sewer lining program to rehabilitate aging pipes and improve operating efficiency – using a process that avoids digging up pipes and disrupting neighbourhoods.
Starting in April, up to 8,000 metres of sanitary sewer main will be lined in several neighbourhoods including Strathcona Park, Grenville Park, Hillendale, Polson Park, and Calvin Park. The program was successfully piloted in 2020, in the Kingscourt area.
“Aside from improving the infrastructure, this work reduces otherwise clean storm water from infiltrating the sanitary sewer system, increasing pipe capacity and reducing the risk of localized basement flooding. The work will also increase operating efficiency, as reduced sewer flows mean less pumping and treating wastewater,” said Jim Miller, chief operating officer of Utilities Kingston.
Instead of digging up the road along the entire length of the sewer main, Utilities Kingston’s contractor, Insituform Technologies Limited, will access the pipe through maintenance holes to complete the work. This involves preparing the inside of the sewer mains and then inserting a felt liner that is saturated with a resin. This resin compound is then cured-in-place to form what is, essentially, a ‘new pipe within a pipe’.
When the liner is initially inserted, it will temporarily block the sewer laterals that carry wastewater from homes and businesses to the sewer main under the street. Utilities Kingston’s contractor will cut these out to open the service, but residents will need to take temporary measures to reduce the wastewater coming from the property.
To reduce the disruption to customers, the lining work will be completed within a 12-hour period.