Project Type: Municipal — Schools and Universities — Pipe Restoration
Location: Sitka, AK
Description: Blatchley Middle School had a failing piping system. The local water supply was low in Ph, making the water corrosive to copper pipe. Pipe restoration was the answer. In less than 2 weeks from start to finish the domestic water system at the school was completely restored.
THE PROBLEM:
Blatchley Middle School had a failing piping system. The school is a 2 level full facility building servicing around 400 students and was constructed in 1968 with an addition in 1988.
The repipe option, upon examination, was not so simple. The local water supply was low in Ph, making the water corrosive to copper pipe. The school was in operation year round, could not be closed for a conventional re-pipe and there were asbestos abatement implications. To further complicate matters, no one was really sure where the piping system ran and what branch lines serviced what fixtures. The short-term fix was to wait for a leak, track down it down and repair it. The longer-term plan was to re-pipe sections of the piping system, a section at a time; a costly and inconvenient way to tackle the job. Returning from the National School Board Annual Convention in San Diego, where it was learned that a modern approach of protecting piping systems had been on demonstration, the Director of Public Works called ACE DuraFlo® Systems to see if pipe restoration was the answer to his piping challenges.
THE SOLUTION:
Pipe restoration was the answer. In less than 2 weeks from start to finish the domestic water system at the school was completely restored. There was no interruption to classes and with the technique of isolating sections of the piping system most areas of the school had running water during the restoration process. The piping system restored was comprised of copper piping ranging in sizes from a half-inch to 2Â1?2 inches in diameter.
Pleased with the choice to go with pipe restoration Hugh Bevan, P.E., Director of Public Works, City and Borough of Sitka, Alaska had this to say: “After experiencing the ACE DuraFlo® system first hand, I am convinced that your restoration solution is extremely cost effective, fast and provides many other benefits compared to conventional re-pipe.