Project Overview
Challenge:
Aging pipes incurring substantial costs for the HOA, including sewage remediation within units, frequent drain cleaning, piping repairs, and lost revenue from Airbnb rentals for homeowners.
Solution:
Rehabilitate aging and deteriorating cast iron piping by installing CIPP liner in all shared sewer lines. Install numerous missing cleanouts throughout the property. Minimize operational disruption.
Location: Pacific Beach, San Diego, CA
Client Background and Project Scope
The Plaza HOA is a 502-unit resort-style, self-managed condominium complex situated on a 10-acre property in Pacific Beach, San Diego. Originally built in 1975, the aging cast iron piping has deteriorated, incurring substantial costs for the HOA, including sewage remediation within units, frequent drain cleaning, piping repairs, and lost revenue from Airbnb rentals for homeowners.
In response to these challenges, the Board of Directors made the decision to invest $2 million in a comprehensive rehabilitation and installation project. The funds were secured through a loan to address the issues by installing numerous missing cleanouts throughout the property and installing pull-in-place CIPP liners in all shared sewer lines. The complexity of the project was compounded by limited accessibility to the piping and workspaces due to the large number of units, security perimeter fences, and gates leading to narrow hallways and sidewalks.
Method
Only two designated areas within the 10-acre property were suitable for the wet-out process for lining, necessitating the transportation of prepared liners to remote locations for installation. Effective logistics and meticulous planning, in collaboration with the HOA management and residents, were paramount to the project’s success.
The installation of the liners involved accessing all 165 ground floor units and a significant portion of the 165 second floor units, enabling the integration of the liner into the common sewer mains and stacks. Additionally, numerous excavations were required to install missing cleanouts on the 6″ and 8″ main sewer lines. Due to restricted access within the property, the majority of the excavations were carried out manually.
Over the course of a 20-month schedule, a total of 12,277 linear feet of Nu Flow pull-in-place liner was installed, including over 7,000 feet of 1.5″ and 2″ liners, almost 3,000 feet of 6″ and 8″ liners, and 2,000 feet of 3″ and 4″ liners. The project was executed with minimal disruption to the residents, and it provided a valuable training opportunity for a large group of technicians who subsequently demonstrated success in similar off-site projects.
Outcome
The outcome of the project has brought immense satisfaction to the HOA. Following years of service calls and costly remediation charges, incidents of backups caused by piping failures have been reduced to zero. Consequently, the HOA can now allocate its reserve funds towards enhancing amenities, thus increasing property values for homeowners.
