City Completes Sewer Main Rehab in Southwest Arlington

Published on April 14, 2023

By Traci Peterson, Arlington Water Utilities

A recently completed Arlington Water Utilities project rehabilitated approximately 560 feet of 24-inch diameter sanitary sewer main that runs beneath Interstate 20 (I-20) near Rush Creek. The work, which started last year, will decrease the likelihood of future main failures that might have affected multiple neighborhoods south of I-20 in southwest Arlington.

The I-20 Sanitary Sewer Main Rehabilitation Project was done using a cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining system, a process that allows the sanitary sewer main to be improved while remaining in place. The project also included relocating approximately 215 feet of 12-inch sanitary sewer main away from the Kee Branch, a tributary of Rush Creek. Eliminating the creek crossing is expected to extend the life of the relocated main.

The Arlington City Council approved a construction contract of just over $1 million in March 2022 with Insituform Technologies, the contractor on the project. The impact of construction traffic on the surrounding neighborhoods was minimal, with the most access to the construction site occurring in the highway right-of-way.

The Rush Creek sanitary sewer main was evaluated as part of the Arlington Water Utilities’ Large Diameter Sanitary Sewer Assessment Program, a partnership with The University of Texas at Arlington College of Engineering, in 2016. During that project, a “floating robot” guided engineers through 48 miles of sanitary sewer piping throughout Arlington to check sanitary sewer mains. The water department and City Council made plans to repair corroded pipes to prevent potential sanitary sewer main failures.