ISELIN, NJ, Dec. 20, 2010 -- Middlesex Water Company recently replaced a 104-year old cast iron water main connecting Perth Amboy, NJ and Sayreville, NJ under the Raritan River in a complex $5.3 million construction project designed to ensure greater reliability and better fire protection for customers in the southern portion of its distribution system.
"The century old main had experienced an increasing number of breaks in recent years due to age, corrosivity and the unstable nature of the underwater environment in which the pipeline rests," said project leader G. Christian Andreasen, P.E., Director of Engineering for Middlesex Water. "After repeated outages and costly emergency repairs, the Company determined that replacement provided a more practical and cost-effective solution," he added.
Working with technical experts from CDM, Northeast Remsco Construction Inc., Mears Group and Underground Solutions Inc., Middlesex Water installed a new 24-inch, 5,800-foot long-water main, with almost 4,800 feet of the main beneath the Raritan River and adjacent marshland. At its deepest point, the new main was installed sixty feet below the surface of the river. The Company explored numerous alternatives for drilling under water over a great distance including microtunneling, trenching and horizontal directional drilling (HDD). HDD was ultimately selected for its cost, sustainability, minimal impact to the environment and marine traffic and permitting requirements.
Multiple sections of nearly 5,400 feet of fusable polyvinylchloride (PVC) pipe were strung out and fused together as the pipe was being pulled as one continuous length beneath the river bed. The project has been chronicled as the longest fusable PVC pullback of 24-inch or greater diameter completed to-date in the world and was recently named New Installation Project of the Year by Trenchless Technology magazine.
"We are grateful to the entire team for helping us deliver this logistically complex project on time and on budget. Aging infrastructure is a challenge facing many utilities across the country as they work to continue delivering high quality utility services. This important project is a great example of our company's commitment to prudent investment in our infrastructure which, ultimately results in further enhancing the reliability and overall quality of service to our customers," said Dennis Doll, president and CEO of Middlesex Water.
About Middlesex Water Company
Middlesex Water Company, organized in 1897, is an investor-owned water utility, serving customers in central and southern New Jersey, Delaware and most recently in Pennsylvania. For additional information regarding Middlesex Water Company, visit the Company's Web site at www.middlesexwater.com or call (732) 634-1500.
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