PipeArmor Delivers New Life to Aged Tacoma Water Transmission Line

Quest Inspar today announced it has completed the world’s first in-place robotic lining of a large diameter drinking water pipeline with structural polyurea; creating new options for utilities to repair in-place aging pipe systems. The company robotically applied its PipeArmor™ life extension liner to a 2,156 foot section of Tacoma Water Company’s 58” transmission line located in the Puyallup community, eliminating a need to dig up and replace the deteriorated section of pipeline installed in 1939. The PipeArmor formulation used is ANSI/NSF 61 certified for drinking water and was applied in a single robotic pass at approximately .375” in thickness exceeding AWWA M28 specifications. The installed PipeArmor will deliver decades of new life to the aged pipeline at significant savings to the city and customer rate payers. The minimal excavation also resulted in little traffic disruption to local residents and commuters traversing the busy intersection.

Tacoma, WA - Quest Inspar's robot delivers world's first robotically applied liner to a large buried-in-place water main, giving the 70+ year pipeline new life - with minimal disruption to local traffic. (Photo: Business Wire)

“We conducted an extensive cost and engineering study before selecting the Quest Inspar solution. Like all communities, Tacoma has to address an aging water supply infrastructure. We are pleased with this pilot lining process and anticipate great results long term,” stated Michel Peloquin, Professional Engineer for Water Supply, who has headed the project for Tacoma Water Company.

“Polyurea has been around for decades. Many cities use it as a surface sprayed material to protect the walls of water tanks, but being able to apply the PipeArmor structural material which sets instantly when applied into the confined space of a pipe, has taken some very special technology that Quest Inspar developed – and now proven works for large water lines,” says Peloquin.

“We have been utilizing this technology for nearly twelve years to rehabilitate much more complex industrial and chemical plant pipelines. It was time to bring it to benefit the critical challenges municipal water departments and our communities face with the need to fix aging pipe systems with limited financial resources. It was a pleasure to partner with Michel and Tacoma Water Department for this first municipal utility application,” stated Kent Weisenberg, Founder/Chief Technical Officer of Quest Inspar, and the inventor of the patented robotic technologies.

A Pathway to Improved Water Supply

For waterworks utilities, there have been no minimal impact and economically viable options to rehabilitate water pipelines above 42” before Quest Inspar’s solution was brought to market. According to a 2010 study of America’s water supply system by the EPA, every day over 6 billion gallons of drinking water is lost in the US due to leaks and breaks present in our aged water pipelines, some of which date back over 100 years. The same study forecasts that over 50% of America’s 950,000 miles of water mains will require replacement in the next 20 years.

First Project – More to come

“We look forward to this being just the beginning helping Tacoma and other municipal water works stopping loss of water from leaks, ensuring safe drinking water and saving the higher cost of pipeline replacement,” stated Milton Altenberg, CEO of Quest Inspar.

Pleased with the results, Tacoma Water has already identified the next transmission size pipe section to be lined with PipeArmor™; work now planned for November 2014.

About Quest Inspar, LLC

Quest Inspar specializes in the development and delivery of advanced pipeline rehabilitation solutions to extend the life of pressurized pipelines critical to industry and utilities. Its robotic application of PipeArmor™ coatings deliver a proven highly durable solution that significantly extends the expected design life of existing pipelines, providing a preventative measure against future corrosion, abrasion and/or erosion of the interior walls of lined pipe, offsetting the costly need for replacement. To learn more, visit QuestInspar.com.

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