Keeping Your Potable Water Pipelines Clean

There are several factors to consider when making the decision to have your potable water piping system cleaned.

• You will need to notify all consumers of the planned disruption of service and offer them instructions of to how to cope and the projected timeline of lack of service
• It is wise, though not necessary, to begin the cleaning process at the source of supply. This allows the treated water clean conduits with which it can be transported.
• Depending on the current condition of piping, cleaning is usually done in 8 to 10 hour increments, taking time to disinfect and restore normal usage after each shutdown period
• Setting up the cleaning process for immediate restoration of service should it become necessary as in the case of a fire emergency
• Consideration that reliable mapping, size(s), Interior condition(s), and age(s) all strongly influence how much piping might be cleaned in how much time. Often a mile of pipeline cleaned in one time span is not unusual
• A piping system will require identification, location of valving and operation while it’s being cleaned. Malfunctioning or “lost” valves are located along with previously hidden connections, size disparity and piping locations resulting in an update to mapping and other existing information of the system. 
• Knowing that upon completion of cleaning that the prior dirty interior condition can or will be recreated with time is a misconception. Present day water quality standards compliance means that the condition of the water leaving the treatment plant should avert where the interior conditions of the pipeline will again become fouled or dirty. It is another story though to think that the same properly treated water leaving a facility will be delivered to consumers through polluted conduits. It is vital the whole system be cleaned.

With the extensive number of factors to consider, your best and first decision should be to hire professionals like the ones at Professional Piping Services, Inc. Their team of caring and knowledgeable experts are here to assist you in planning the cleaning of your potable water pipelines.

Deciding on who to hire when looking for a company to service your pipeline system should depend heavily on the credentials of the company and its employees. One such question to ask companies offering pigging services is, “Are you a Certified Underground Utility Contractor?”.

An underground utility contractor here in the state of Florida is anyone whose services are accomplished through open excavations or other means through installation, construction, or repair of lines whether on public or private property. Other means may include auger boring, wet and dry taps, grouting, drilling, trenchless technologies, and slip lining of different water system, such as main sanitary sewer collection, main water distribution, storm sewer collection and the continuation of utilities form these main systems to their point of termination. Clearly this title means the person’s/company’s work covers a large range of service needs. 

As one would think, in order to be certified as an underground utility contractor in Florida, these contractors have ridgid list of prerequisites that must be met before becoming licensed … some of these are:

• The person must take and pass a state certification exam for not only Underground Utility but Business and Finance before they can begin the process of applying for and obtaining a license
• The person needs to be no younger than 18 years of age
• The person will need to meet one or more of the following education and/or experience requirements:.
  
• The person will need to meet one or more of the following education and/or experience requirements:.
  
  • They need to have at least four years experience as a worker or foreman, with no less than one year of that being a foreman
    
  • OR they must possess one year experience as a foreman and not less than three years of credits from an accredited college or university
    
  • OR The person will need a four year construction related degree from an accredited college or an equivalent to three years experience and one year proven experience directly applicable to the category they are applying for
    
  • OR they will need at minimum one year experience as a worker, one year as a foreman, and not less than two years of credits from an accredited college or university
    
  • OR they will need a minimum of two years experience as a worker, one year as a foreman and one year of credits from an accredited college or university
    

When looking for a pipeline pigging company to service your piping system, look for one that offers the knowledge and experience of being certified along with practical experience of working all types of pipeline systems. Trust Professional Piping Services led by general manager, Roger Cimbora, who has over 62 years experience in the piping industry, to deliver excellent and timely work at competitive prices.
Certified Underground Utility Contractor
License Number CU-C055717

The importance of complying with the guidelines set in place by the Compressed Gas Association or the C.G.A. is not to be undervalued. This especially holds true for publication C.G.A. G-4.1 stating recommended procedures for the cleaning of oxygen service equipment.

Oxygen reacts violently with a high number of substances.  These materials tend to be the primary pollutants of a piping system and other components handling oxygen. When reactions of this kind happen, they result in damage to and possible destruction of equipment.  More significantly they can result in serious injuries up to loss of life.

It is always a wise decision to trust a company, like Profession Piping Services, Inc., with the experience, training and the right equipment to properly handle this crucial cleaning service.  
Professional Piping Services, Inc. has managed, designed, and restored thousands of miles of piping systems since 1985.  Their staff is certified and educated  to adhere to OSHA29, CFR 1910.120 standards for health and safety. You can be confident that their work with oxygen systems adheres with C.G.A G-4.1 guidelines. 

This blog post is intended for piping professionals in Miami, Florida, but the details are universal.

The first choice in pipe system cleaning is often a poly pig or "Pipe Pig".  A pipe pig is a device used to scrape clean the interior surface of the pipes. Pipe pigs come in a variety of diameters from just inches, up to several feet. (The largest this author has heard of is 120", but I'm sure I haven't seen them all. I'm just the web-guy!) The surface of the pig which actually does the cleaning will vary, depending on what the pipes are made of. (Steel, Concrete, PVC...) and the debris, soil or contaminant that must be removed. Some of the earliest pigs were made of straw which was then wrapped in barbed wire. Modern technology has seen significant change in the materials and design of pipe pigs. Now that I've mentioned technology, I should mentions smart pigs. That is, Pipe Pigs with sensors and a radio transmitter. These are handy when there is a need to verify & correct the reported location & diameter of pipes and valves of any run of pipes where reality and blueprints are not in alignment.
 
Piping system engineers & managers in Miami already know that regardless the product, (A desirable product, or some kind of waste), the pipes must be kept clean or they will eventually clog and fail. This failure might be seen as a gradual restriction of flow through time, or an instant complete failure.

Reduced flow of a resale product allows less dollars per second. Shareholders / stakeholders will want accountability for that!. If your system handles wastewater, sewage or other undesirable product, reduced flow or a blockage can quickly become an unpleasant mess! Limited storage at the upstream end of the system can make this even worse. A restriction in your pipes not only reduces the amount of product coming out the end of the system, but also consumes more power while the pumps work harder to force the product through. This extra effort may damage pumps or pump components, leading to higher maintenance costs or earlier failure and expensive replacement. 

HYDRO JET PIPE CLEANING IN MIAMI FLORIDA

Some systems will require an alternative to pipe pigging, such as high power water jetting, to get the best clean for that particular system. High Pressure Water Jetting is appropriate for all diameters of pipe. The Pipe cleaning specialists will maintain correct flow and pressure for the process to succeed. High Power Water Jetting removes sediment, roots, kitchen fat, automotive gunk, lime / hard water mineral scale, raw sewage waste and more. Professional Piping Services Inc. can provide a portable water tank when needed, or hook up to your water supply.

Clean pipes simply flow better. Professional Piping Systems, Inc. will help determine the correct pipe cleaning process for your system.

Professional Piping Services, Inc., has multiple decades of experience in the professional piping system maintenance business. 

It doesn't matter if your pipes are made from bamboo, terracotta, copper, steel or concrete. Pipes get dirty. Dirty pipes lead to dirty product. If the "product" is waste, you're not off the hook either. Dirty pipes handle less flow. If it's a gravity system, you have to wait longer for the product to arrive. If you're on a pumped system, you may run into damaged pump motors or other problems caused by your reduced flow.

When pipes get too clogged, often they are dug up and thrown away. This is extremely costly. Not just in labor and new pipe, but in permitting and hassles. Especially in a crowded city like Miami. If your pipes are under roads, municipal property, commercial or residential property, these costs skyrocket.

Now you have an alternative. Professional Piping Services, Inc is who you need to restore the your piping system to it's full flow potential without the need to dig. Their decades of experience with systems that going wrong, they quickly identify whatever problem you're having, and know the most cost effective way to solve it while minimizing other expenses like pipe modification & downtime.

Professional Piping Services, Inc. serves Miami Florida and holds the following license.
Certified Underground Utility Contractor
License Number CU-C055717