Petersen Products
Preparing end of pipe for connection downstream of inflatable li…
Five-month gamble pays off
“The plug stood up to a few pounds of head pressure for five months, and held very tight,” Bolton says. “We had to add a little air every few weeks, which isn’t difficult, and had no failures of any kind.”
At time of removal, the plug was holding back enough water to fill the pipe about halfway, going back more than 5,000 feet.
The plug provided a relatively dry environment as crews implemented a solution that will keep infiltration out of the flow to be treated. That last fact is very important.
“With a cost of less than $25,000 for the plugging system, we saved more than the cost of the plug just in avoided treatment costs,” Bolton says. “And who knows, maybe we’ll use it again.” Petersen plugs can generally be reused in same-dimension pipes, sometimes with refurbishing.
“We were getting close to our treatable permitted flow limit, so having the opportunity to reduce I&I is very helpful.”
So sometimes, a plugged sewer line is just what’s needed.
Angus Stocking is a licensed land surveyor who has been writing about infrastructure since 2002. E-mail angusstocking@gmail.com.
