Dual Functioning Repair Coupling Makes For Easy On-The-Spot Change In Pipe Replacement

Saint Brieuc Agglomeration is a private water utility in the region of Brittany, France, supplying 41,000 customers with water through 1,000 km of pipes. The vast majority of pipes are ductile iron, and the size ranges in diameter from DN40 to DN600. The pipe age varies from 40 to 125 years, which is not abnormal in France. Over time, wear and tear on the pipes, ground movements, variations in ground temperature, and road works can weaken them, resulting in pipe breakages.

A recent pipe break became apparent when water started to pool on the roadway surface. When there is a leak on a road, it is important to repair it in a short time to allow road traffic to be restored quickly. It is also important to dig as little as possible to limit the damage to the road and reduce the cost of restoration.

It was determined to be a circular breakage which is the most common failure for cast iron pipe, and in this case, the pipe size was DN100. Saint Brieuc Agglomeration has GIS for the entire drinking water network, which gives them all the information they need to do an accurate dig and understand the constraints of intervention and possible obstacles.