Yorkshire Water has trialled a world first “no dig” gravity-fed sewer lining system to increase the lifespan of its underground sewers by up to 50 years.
The technology is expected to save the firm around £1.25 million over five years by renewing large sections of its underground gravity – fed sewer infrastructure without having to replace it. It consists of a carbon fibre spray lining application that rapidly sets to create a ”pipe within a pipe” , creating a 2mm thick extra layer of structural integrity that protects against groundwater infiltration.
The technology can also be applied without having to dig up the road surface, which will result in fewer road closures and tragic disruptions. Mark Gregory, Project Manager at Yorkshire Water said “We have previously carried out successful trails with this technology on our water mains and sewers, but this is a world first in terms of using it specifically for gravity fed sewers. The spray liner has proved itself to be a highly cost effective and innovative way to renew ageing infrastructure. By applying this technology we will substantially reduce the risk of failure to our ageing underground assets and also improve the life span by 50 years”.
Yorkshire Water plans to initially use the new technology on vulnerable rising main sewers and following a review, aim to examine future applications on its waste water and its potential to be used on the clean water network. The technology has been developed by Axalta Coating Systems and applied by SCHUR Ltd and DrainsAid / Peter Duffy Ltd.
Yorkshire Water is working closely with the public health and safety organisation known as NSF-WRc to establish industry standards for use of the new technology.