San Diego County Water Authority relining water mains to increase service life

The San Diego County Water Authority is rehabilitating one of the main water lines in the San Carlos neighborhood of San Diego, US, as part of a multi-decade program to extend the lifespan of 82 miles of aging pipes.

SDCWA is carrying out the repair work as part of the $21.2m Mission Trails to Lake Murray pipeline relining project, to rehabilitate and extend the life of the pipelines.

A construction crew has been working in the Mission Trails Regional Park and near Lake Murray since August 2012.

The water authority is currently relining 5.6km of pipelines in San Carlos, with steel liners that are about half an inch thick.

The approach of relining the pipelines instead of replacing them will enable the water authority to save up to 40% to 60% of the total cost.

San Diego County Water Authority construction manager Brent Fountain said the authority has planned to carry out the project work with as little disturbance and impact on the community as possible.

"This project is an important part of our commitment to ensuring the regional water supply system will continue to deliver water safely and reliably," Fountain added.

SDCWA is coordinating with the city’s officials to guide the traffic during the pipe rehabilitating work, and is expecting that the work will be completed by the second quarter of 2013.

The water authority designed the pipeline relining project to replace sections of the pre-stressed concrete cylinder pipe that were installed in the early 1960s – 1980s.

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Image: The San Diego Water Authority is relining water pipelines to increase the service life and reduce the risk of pipe failure. Photo: United States Marine Corps.