Frequent water main breaks and maintenance activities in some of Brownstown Township’s older, remote waterfront subdivisions were remedied during a three-year, 87,000-foot water main replacement and rehabilitation program. Pre-chlorinated pipe bursting was used to replace the majority of 6- to 8-inch water main throughout these areas with a new 8-inch and 12-inch line and placing new gate valves and hydrants. Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) was used to add new water service along some private roads and capacity was increased where needed. Wade Trim provided design, plan development and construction management for the program.
The Township’s Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to access the layout of the water main system and background aerial photography to develop the plans and contract documents for the pre-chlorinated pipe bursting. While conventional survey was required in areas that needed more detailed grading information, like the HDD areas, use of GIS data minimized design survey costs. Installation was performed from small excavated pits at strategic locations, routinely limiting the shutdown period for residents to 10 hours or less.
Awards:
APWA-MI, Project of the Year Award (Environment $5 to $25 Million), 2014
APWA-MI Downriver Branch, Project of the Year Award, 2013
