Relining sewer (Relinen riool) in The Netherlands is oft mentioned as the quick solution in addressing sewer problems before they cause environmental pollution. Actually, sewer-related problems are even worse in other countries where sewage spills happen due to years of neglect. In the US, failing wastewater management systems and antiquated sewer pipes, as well as infrastructures in dire need of repair, continue to cause harm and contamination to the country’s coastal waters.
Environmental investigations have shown that as much as 900 billion gallons of under-treated raw sewage wastes have been discharged in local waterways by broken-down sewage systems. Every year, the untreated sewer discharges threaten the quality and safety of America’s beaches. Once the effluent in the ocean shows high levels of bacterial contamination occurring on the surface water, the beach will be closed and will be off-limits to the public.
On top of such unsound sewage conditions, industrial discharges and agricultural runoffs worsened the state of water pollution in the environment.
Nevertheless, the current US administration is now focused on overhauling many of the nation’s neglected infrastructures.
Problematic Cured-in Place Pipes in the US
Modern sewer pipe renovations in the US also made use of the relining technology by way of the Cured-in-Place Pipe (CIPP) method. However, this is no longer widely used in America because many families complained of noxious gas coming out of sewer systems and filling up their house. The fumes were described as having the smell of burning epoxy that was so strong families had to leave their home.
The cured-in-place pipes were actually gaining popularity in many states. This was mainly because the cost to homeowners is said to be eight times lower than the cost of excavating to physically locate and replace the broken pipes.
Since the state of neglect has worsened in recent years, which made the sewer systems unable to withstand the effects of climate change, the CIPP method of repair has been used to renovate hundreds of millions of pipes situated in underground infrastructures.
Yet the great concentrations of resins used in rehabilitating the vast expanse of America’s sewer systems from coast to coast, had simultaneously reacted to the UV heat that cured the resins that formed hundreds of millions of pipe replacements.
Dutch Relinen Experts Explain the Cause of Noxious Gas Emissions
In the Netherlands, CIPP is not always recommended for all types of sewer and plumbing issues. Moreover, Dutch Relinen experts explain that the most common cause of CIPP gas emissions are from leaks and bubbles coming out of poorly treated CIPP linings. According to Dutch Relinen experts, following the step-by-step process of relining is critical in ensuring the integrity of the CIPP replacement.