Halifax Water
Lifting launch tube assembly onto hot tap.
Pipe Diameter: 30”
Pipe Type: LCP
Distance Inspected: Approx. 0.62 miles
Service: PipeDiver™ - Remote Field Transformer Coupling (RFTC)
Halifax Water is the municipal water utility for the Halifax Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada and provides utility services to about 325,000 residents. With a mandate to own and operate the city's water supply, Halifax Water has transformed the water supply system into a modern, efficient and financially sound operation providing high quality water and service to its customers.
A section of the 30" diameter LCP Halifax-Bedford connector pipeline was identified by the client as being high-risk as it operated at a relatively high pressure (over 170psi), supplied a rapidly growing community and ran past residential areas along side of a highway. It would have been difficult to remove the line from service so Halifax Water selected PipeDiver™ to carry out a condition assessment of the line without dewatering or shutdown.
Prior to the PipeDiver™ inspection, the Pressure Pipe Inspection Company (PPIC) conducted a Sahara® video inspection primarily as a pre-screening step to assure there were no obstructions within the selected pipeline section. Taking advantage of the Sahara® systems dual capabilities, the pipeline was also inspected for leaks as another added benefit. The Sahara® leak survey determined that there were no leaks within the area inspected.
Halifax Water installed two 12" hot taps on the pipeline to facilitate the PipeDiver™ inspection, and provided a boom truck to lift and install the launch and retrieval tubes. PipeDiver™ was launched and extracted within several hours. Data was collected over the entire length of pipe travelled and distressed pipes and other pipeline features were clearly identified for the client. There was no disruption to water service for residents or to local traffic.
GPS data points were collected while tracking the progress of PipeDiver™ along the pipeline from above ground. The inspection results were incorporated into the PPIC Pipeline GIS Software and plotted for graphical display and storage.
A total of 97 pipe lengths were inspected and analysis of the data obtained during the RFTC inspection determined that eleven pipes in this section displayed evidence of wire breaks, ranging from 5 to 25 breaks. Partially based on the inspection results, Halifax Water replaced a 500 meter section of this 30" pipeline in conjunction with a major city road widening project.