From Corrosion to Resilience: Innovative Pipe Rehabilitation Solution Boosts Reliability for Silicon Valley Clean Water

Silicon Valley Clean Water (SVCW) provides wastewater treatment for over 220,000 users in the San Francisco mid-peninsula area. The treatment plant, established in the 1970s, faced significant challenges due to an aging piping system. Particularly, the plant's sludge under their digester and secondary clarifier started showing signs of corrosion, exacerbated by their location near the saline San Francisco Bay. To address this issue, SVCW explored several rehabilitation options, ultimately identifying spray-in-place pipe (SIPP) lining and cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) as the most practical and cost-effective solutions. Despite severe corrosion, varying pipe diameters, difficult access, and tight schedules, the project team successfully implemented SIPP rehabilitation. This accomplishment highlights the importance of innovative thinking, skilled craftsmanship, and teamwork in resolving complex infrastructure challenges.