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Medford pipes to get a new lease on life By Damian Mann Updated: Jan 10, 2023 09:18 AM A A Sewer and storm-drain pipes are stacked up for a Sixth Street project. Medford is poised to spend $2 million to line 4 miles of sewer and storm-drain pipes with a resin liner, a method that allows old pipes to be repaired without digging them up and disrupting neighborhoods. [Mail Tribune/file photo] Deteriorating sewer and storm-drain pipes in Medford are tapped for an almost $2 million upgrade to keep them flowing smoothly. Medford City Council recently authorized a contract with Insituform Technologies LLC to coat the interior of more than 4 miles of old pipes with a resin liner that will give them another lease on life. “The majority of our sewer pipes in the city are over 50 years old,” said John Vial, Medford Public Works director. “Replacing all these pipes is cost prohibitive and not practical.” Since 2016, the city has undertaken the so-called “cured-in-place” pipe renovation system, which is cheaper than trenching and pipe replacement, and it doesn’t cause major disruptions on local streets. Insituform, the low bidder, will line 14,685 feet of sewer pipes and 8,535 feet of storm-drain pipes. The work will be done on dozens of streets throughout the city. To date, the city has used the cured-in-place technology on 120,284 feet of sewer pipe and 22,753 feet of storm-water pipe. Many of the aging pipes are made of concrete and have cracked over time, creating leaks and allowing root intrusion. Excess water flowing into the lines also puts a burden on the sewage treatment plant. Some of the pipes under backyards and streets are more than 100 years old. According to Insituform, which submitted the lowest of three bids received by the city, the resin lining in the old pipes should last 50 years. The city has worked with Insituform on previous projects, including last year when it lined 26,833 feet of sewer and storm pipes for $1,673,999.50. The technology provides a rapid fix for aging pipelines. Instead of trenching, the work is done remotely. A resin-impregnated liner is inserted into pipes, then inflated and cured in place. Vial said a quarter-mile run of concrete pipe that went underneath 20 backyards on Stratford Street was accomplished in three days with little disruption to the properties. “The citizens didn’t even know it happened,” Vial said. If the city had decided to replace the old pipes, it would have required digging up backyards and destroying fences, outbuildings and gardens. Pipes located underneath a building also can be fixed with this technology. On its website, Insituform said it has “renewed pipelines beneath interstates, bridges, busy roadways, airports and military installations without disrupting traffic.” The city has 280 miles of sewer pipe in the city, about half of which is concrete pipe. Vial said Public Works will continue to use the technology to repair the aging system. He said the city has had generally good experience with the resin liner. Councilor Tim D’Alessandro said he thought the contract was a good investment that will cause minimal disruption to local residents. “I think this is a sound, cost-effective method of extending the life of our sewer infrastructure,” he said. Reach freelance writer Damian Mann at [email protected].