Water & Waste

The transport and treatment of water and wastewater play a pivotal role in safeguarding the well-being of people and preserving the environment. A network of critical infrastructure, from buried pipelines to water treatment facilities, must operate flawlessly to ensure clean water delivery and proper waste treatment. 

Water Infrastructure Challenges

Burst pipes lead to regional boil orders and droughts, causing aquifers and reservations to drop in elevation, and strain canals and pipelines that transport water.

Power generation facilities, reliant on heat-generating sources like nuclear, coal, and gas fire, require constant cooling water to prevent overheating. Failure to maintain appropriate cooling can result in power disruptions within regions and, in extreme cases, trigger major disasters

The proper treatment of wastewater before its release into the environment is vital for our planet and human health.  Any damage to the waste transport or treatment facilities can lead to contaminant release, posing significant risks.

Our Experience

We’ve made notable contributions to wastewater treatment facilities and conducted evaluations on buried concrete and steel pipelines, ensuring their preservation and halting further deterioration. 

Through comprehensive condition assessments using impact echo/pulse velocity (IE/PV) techniques, we evaluate the in-situ condition of reinforced concrete pipes. Deterioration of these pipes can result in accidental contaminant release or loss of clean drinking water. By conducting IE/PV tests on pipe walls—from exterior or interior surfaces based on accessibility—we identify signs of deterioration and loss of structural integrity that could lead to future failures. By identifying these issues early, repairs can be done to prevent service disruptions.  

For corrosion assessments on buried steel pipes, we use ground penetrating radar for location identification and corrosion potential measurements, and resistivity tests to evaluate the risk for corrosion. For buried structures, we design cathodic protection systems to mitigate damage, while embedded cathodic protection systems have been created to mitigate corrosion of steel reinforcement.