One of the most important parts of running and maintaining water utilities in top condition is water main replacement. Alexandria in North Virginia sees several of such jobs being carried out throughout the year. Every commercial and residential establishment has a planned network of water supply that travels through the main lines that are in turn connected to the internal water supply lines. Broken or dysfunctional water mains call in for extensive repairs and if the condition is such that even repairs won’t help much then they need to be replaced by a new water main. In this article we will talk about some of the basic things you need to know before having a water main replacement job done.
The structural integrity of a water main deteriorates with the passage of time. This can lead to breaking down of the line which can cause a lot of damage and inconvenience. The sidewalk, street, or yard in the surrounding area of the line can get severely affected if a main line breaks. There can be serious water outrages for people residing in the area if the problem is not fixed soon. In such a situation the best thing to do would be to call in for professional help. This is not the job of an ordinary plumber and definitely not something that you can undertake yourself. The damaged or broken water main needs to be replaced with a new one. Basically a new line will be installed and your water main connection will be switched to it after it has been successfully installed.
There are a number of lines running underground next to a housing establishment and these will include lines for power, telephone lines, and cable network lines as well as the gas line, storm sewer and sanitary sewer. So the new water main line needs to be located strategically among these without causing damage to any of them. The plumbing company you hire will work in consultation with the city authority for the design aspect of the job. People being affected with water supply from the main line in question will be notified and advance. They will carry out the water main replacement job and disinfect as well as pressure test it. Tests will also be conducted to ensure that the water passing through is safe. After this is done the client’s water service lines are disconnected from the old mains and reconnected to the newly installed one. The area that has been dug up will be brought back to the original condition.
