AWWA DSS60319

The National Park Service (NPS) engaged CDM to design and construct improvements to its Flamingo water system, including the complete replacement of its water distribution system. The Flamingo area is the largest developed area within Everglades National Park (Park) and includes a visitor's center, restaurant facilities, and housing to accommodate visitors from all over the world. The existing water distribution system consists of 25,000 linear feet of 6-, 4-inch asbestos concrete and polyvinyl chloride water mains. The majority of the distribution system was constructed in 1947. The plan for the water distribution system replacement utilized almost entirely trenchless construction, minimizing impacts to valuable environmentally sensitive and irreplaceable natural resources; the main distribution lines were replaced using high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipeline by the pipe bursting method. The polyethylene pipelines were pre-chlorinated to disinfect and bacteriologically clear the line above ground prior to installation. This allowed the new lines to be placed into service immediately with minimal disruption to the visitors and residents at the Park. This project is the largest application to date in total linear footage of this technology in North America. This paper documents the installation of the new pipelines, focusing on the use of pipe bursting and pre-chlorination techniques.