Water Construction

Water main replacement as part of City of Peterborough contracts.

• Armour Road
• Brealey Drive
• Parkhill Road West
• Lansdowne St West

Cement Mortar Lining

Cement mortar lining (CML) is a method of rehabilitating older water mains that were constructed of cast iron (CI) and ductile iron (DI) using a low dig technology. This process removes the rust build-up on the inside of the water main and then lines their internal surface with a thin layer of concrete. This typically increases the effective life of the water main by 30 - 50 years. This also improves hydraulic carrying capacity of the water main. Lining also reduces brown discolouration of the water and increases the chlorine residual in the water.

The rehabilitation method of cement mortar lining is an attractive and cost-effective alternative to the full replacement of the water main and is less disruptive to the neighbourhood than full pipe replacement.

Cathodic protection

Peterborough Utilities has been cathodically protecting its water mains since 1991. This proven method of controlling the effects of external corrosion on the water distribution system results in fewer water main breaks, thus reducing maintenance and life cycle costs. This process simply involves attaching magnesium anodes to the water main. The anode will then corrode instead of the water main it is connected to. The installation of anodes, that typically last 15 - 25 years, is much more attractive than the disruption that is caused on a street by replacing the water main at a much higher cost.

Every year the Peterborough Utilities schedules cathodic protection installation in selected areas of the city. Work typically takes place between early June to late September each year. Once started, the installation process takes between 2 – 3 days to complete on each street. Affected areas are notified by way of a hand delivered notice.

Water main replacement

The Peterborough Utilities Commission's Water Main Replacement Program is designed to replace and rehabilitate aged and deteriorating water mains throughout the city. Many of the pipes in the system were installed in the early 1900s and are small in comparison to modern standards in water mains. Through our 5-Year Water Distribution System Improvement Plan, Peterborough Utilities targets a 1% replacement rate of the total water distribution system annually.

Structural lining

Structural lining is a method of rehabilitating older water mains that were constructed of cast iron (CI) and ductile iron (DI) using a low dig technology. This process removes the rust build-up on the inside of the water main and then lines their internal surface with a cured in place pipe (CIPP) liner. This typically increases the effective life of the water main by 30 - 50 years. This also improves hydraulic carrying capacity of the water main. Lining also reduces brown discolouration of the water and increases the chlorine residual in the water. 

Structural Lining is generally used in areas where the existing water main (host pipe) has been structurally compromised. These areas are usually identified by reoccurring water main breaks. Structural Lining, unlike Cement Mortar Lining will provide the host pipe with an increased structural capacity, making it an ideal rehabilitation method for these applications.

Fire hydrant testing

Peterborough Utilities will be testing fire hydrants on various streets during the month of May. This is part of a regular maintenance program which may result in temporary inconveniences. This ongoing program is designed to ensure that our hydrants are ready for emergency fire use, ensures that they are in working order and verifies their flow capacities.

You may experience short term loss in water pressure or detect brown or rust coloured water following testing. We recommend that you do not drink or wash laundry with this discoloured water. The discoloured water is not harmful to your health; however, it can stain laundry.

Reduced water pressure should only be intermittent and/or short-term during testing and water pressure will return to normal once the test is completed.

If you notice discoloured water, turn off your tap for 10 to 20 minutes in order to allow the crew to complete the test. Once the test is complete and the work crew has left the area, turn on the COLD water tap closest to the source (usually your laundry tub tap) and let it run for approximately 15 to 20 minutes or until the water colour has returned to normal.

Coordinating our work with City of Peterborough work