Underground Water Piping

[knight185]

I work at a facility that has a raw water system that supplies water to the fire protection system, various coolers, etc. Maintenance on the filtration system stopped many years ago and there has been a downward trend in water capacity at hydrants, fire pumps, etc. Does anyone have any experience attempting to clean restrictions out of underground water piping or it is best to install new piping? We have replaced some sections of the piping but trying to get isolation valves to work takes a miracle. Has anyone replaced underground water piping with aboveground piping? We are in the process of doing this for some fuel pipes but there has been do discussion about water. I’d have to admit that having an aboveground 24” water line running around the plant would not look very nice.

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Yeah - and it MIGHT freeze!! Then see what happens!!!

 

[CaracasEC]

Our fire protection system before uses salt water. Due to this corrosive media, our UG piping experience internal severe corrosion that during the testing of the deluge piping system spray nozzles to the process area such as reactors, distillation columns were plug due to flakes from corrosion. What we have done is to change the sea water to fresh water. However severe corrosion of the piping made to to change all the pipes of the fire protection system to hot-dipped galvanized. Carbon steel with external PE coating would also be a good material for firewater pipe (UG).