Brownstown Township’s three-year water main improvement program was honored as a 2013 Project of the Year (Environment $5 to $25 Million) by the Michigan Chapter of the American Public Works Association at their annual conference in Bellaire. With more than 16 miles of new water main delivered through pre-chlorinated pipebursting, the award recognizes the Township’s ability to improve water service for more than 1,000 residents and businesses while minimizing disruption and restoration costs. Wade Trim provided design, plan development and construction management for this program.

Water main replacement and rehabilitation were used to address areas in the distribution system that had experienced frequent breaks and other issues. Though a variety of construction methods were used, pre-chlorinated pipe bursting was used to install the majority of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipe with fused joints and mechanical fittings. The technique was highly effective in residential areas with narrow right-of-ways and roads, canals and bridges. The existing 6- and 8-inch water main was rehabilitated by bursting a new 8-inch and 12-inch line and placing new gate valves and hydrants. The pre-chlorination process generally limited impacts on the residents to a one-day outage.