Working on behalf of partner Yorkshire Water and as part of the Yorkshire Water Pollution Prevention Project, DrainsAid was tasked to find a solution for the rehabilitation of a sewer at a woodland area of Heathfield Grove in Bradford, Yorkshire.

The 700mm U shaped brick sewer in Bradford had begun to deteriorate which led to several tree root intrusions throughout it’s length.

Following a CCTV survey, Yorkshire Water identified that the roots could potentially lead to a blockage within the sewer, which if not treated correctly, could create potential for pollution to escape to the nearby woodland area. Always quick to respond to any potential problems, Yorkshire Water contacted DrainsAid to find a fast and effective solution.

Fast, effective solution

“As the problem was located in a heavily wooded area, access to the site was limited, and was restricted to pedestrian access at the downstream manhole” explained Ben McCluskey, Project Manager at DrainsAid.

“To combat this, we utilised a nearby road and built a scaffold platform over a retaining wall to create an access point to the sewer.”

Using their experience and expert knowledge of sewer renovation, DrainsAid decided that the best solution to the problem would be to reline the full length of the sewer to prevent further root infestations and to protect the sewer from long term damage.

Before the DrainsAid team could reline the sewer, they had to remove the roots that were currently intruding into the sewer. Using a Hachler Robotic cutter which is capable of working in 1 metre diameter pipes, the team was able to remove the roots, and then cleaned the sewer using a JHL Recycling Jetvac Unit in conjunction with a remote reel jetting hose. This removed all debris and cleared the sewer ready to be relined.

DrainsAid used a 246m x 700mm hot cured , CIPP internal pipe liner, which was lifted into position by a crane and inverted through the access point created by the scaffold platform.

Benefits

By using the Hot Cure CIPP Liner, the full sewer length has now been rehabilitated through one continuous installation and root infestation has been removed and will be prevented in the future. The liner provides continuous cover throughout the pipe from manhole to manhole, meaning that no roots can penetrate the system.

“Due to the restrictions put on the area from the highways authority, we had a limited amount of time to complete the project, and worked quickly to minmise disruption,” Ben McCluskey continued.

“The team deserve praise for the quality and speed of the challenging – though successful – installation process, due to the unusually large diameter of the sewer and limited site access. This was our largest ever relining project and the sewer is now durable and protected against deterioration.”