City of Calgary
The field crew from PPIC enter a pipeline during an emergency inspection
Pipe Diameter: 48” and 54”
Pipe Type: PCP
Distance Inspected: Approx. 1 mile
Service: PipeCrawler™ - Remote Field Transformer Coupling (RFTC)
The City of Calgary Waterworks draws raw water from the Elbow and Bow Rivers. The Elbow River feeds the Glenmore Reservoir, which supplies water to the Glenmore Water Treatment Plant. The Bow River feeds the Bearspaw Reservoir, which supplies the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant. The City conveys treated water to its 900,000 customers through a 2,671 miles long network of pipe.
On January 25th 2004, the City of Calgary Waterworks experienced an emergency shutdown in the North Hill Crosstown Feedermain. This line is comprised of 48” and 54” Prestressed Concrete Cylinder Pipe (PCCP). Although water service was restored almost immediately, The city wanted to know if it was at risk for another such event and contracted with the Pressure Pipe Inspection Company (PPIC) to assess the condition of the pipeline in the area of the shutdown.
PPIC drew upon the resources of its Emergency Response Team and was on-site almost immediately. The team evaluated the condition of the North Hill Crosstown Feedermain Phase 3 from STA 0+244 to 1+647 on January 31, 2004 using its Remote Field Transformer Coupling (RFTC) inspection tool. The inspected section spanned an overall distance of approximately 1 mile.
On-site analysis of the data showed that three pipes contained broken prestressing wires. The City used this information to selectively rehabilitate these pipes and quickly re-establish the integrity of the water service system.
Most of the inspections from the Pressure Pipe Inspection Company are planned months, or years, in advance. However, the Emergency Response Team from PPIC can provide critical data that clients need to make informed decisions in the event of a crisis. As the infrastructure of our cities continue to age, preventative maintenance becomes increasingly necessary. Our inspections help ensure that the pipes are stable and can handle water flow without rupturing.