Kearny Multiples River Crossing Trenchless Rehabilitation

QUICK STATS

• Over a century ago, seven 16” steel watermains were installed across the Passaic River, laying atop its bed, transferring drinking water at 130 PSI from the Belleville side to the Kearny side.

  Due to operational pressure and the river’s varying tide levels and currents, the watermains never settled beneath the riverbed, exposing the mains to a destructive environment resulting in major leaks and pressure loss.

  In 2013, three of the seven watermains were decommissioned, and the remaining were rehabilitated by slip lining with 12” HDPE IPS DR-11 inside the 16” steel pipes, while also adding double-ball expansion joints to each watermain to allow for the pipes’ movement.

  However, it is believed that over time, the tidal nature produced persistent stresses on the watermains that caused the HDPE liner to fail only ten years after rehabilitation.

  PVWC engineering and inspector staff attended a Primus® Line demonstration hosted by J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, Inc. (Creamer) and Rädlinger Primus Line, Inc. in April 2023. It was determined that Primus Line was the optimal trenchless rehabilitation solution for the subaqueous watermain crossings due to its uniquely engineered design that provides strength, flexibility, and NSF-61 compliance.

  As a result, PVWC teamed up with Creamer, who inspected and cleaned the four watermains and then installed a total of 2,200 LF of 10” Primus Line in just two weeks.

  The four watermains were pressure-tested and re-commissioned by the end of May 2023, marking yet another successful Primus rehabilitation that will extend their service life, allowing the Commission the time needed to plan and construct a new interconnection and crossing.