City Firm Takes Sewer Repair to a Higher Level
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Edmonton Journal, December 2004
by David Finlayson

Dolores Eaton is flushed with pride at her success in the sewer business.

What started as a one-person camera pipe-inspection company eight years ago now has 22 employees and Western Canada rights to a ground breaking manhole repair system that eliminated tearing up the streets.

It’s part of a move toward more trenchless piperepairs to save time, money and keep motorists’ blood pressure at a reasonable levels, said Eaton owner of Incredible Video Inspection Services.  “It’s going to save the city quite a bit on money, and they won’t have to worry about it for 50-plus years,” said Eaton, as she watched an 8½-meter glass fiber and resin bladder being lowered by crane into a Kingsway-area manhole Tuesday.

The limp bladder is inflated inside the manhole so it sticks to the wall.  Steam is then injected as a curing agent, and a few hours later the workers have moved onto another project.

Apart from some prep work and someone going back to reinstall the manhole ladder, the whole process from dropping the bladder into the hole to putting the cover back on takes about eight hours.

And the system can be used on manholes of almost any depth.  The company recently set a North-American record for a manhole liner repair of 19.5 meters at 97^th Street and 114^th Avenue.

“It was 6½ storeys in the air, and it went down like nothing.  It fit like a glove,” Eaton said.

City project manager Alberta Kwan said the cost compares favourably with conventional excavation methods, and doesn’t disrupt traffic nearly as much.

Another advantage is that, if there is a side pipe coming into the manhole, you can simply cut a hole in the liner to accommodate it, Kwan said.

A two-hole pilot project proved the system’s worth, and IVIS is contracted initially to repair six fairly deep manholes, he said.

Kwan said the city will consider using the system to eventually repair damaged manholes across the city.

“It works very well.  And the contractor has improved the system since we did it the pilot project.  They now apply the (curing) chemicals in the shop, instead of onsite, which saves even more time.”

IVIS still does pip inspection and utility location, but has expanded into steam cleaning and flushing of big lines and catch basins, and sewer repairs, Eaton said.  “We’re a forward thinking company that’s always looking for new processes that will save customers money and provide better service.”