April 9, 2006 — The V.I. Waste Management Authority has reported that repairs to the LBJ Pump Station force main sewer line have been completed, bypassing has been discontinued, and the wastewater system was returned to normal operations at 7:20 am Saturday morning.
On Friday, WMA reported a sewage line break near the LBJ pump station and the WAPA desalination plant, which resulted in sewage leaking into adjacent waters. The break was discovered at approximately 12:30 p.m Thursday.
Upon notification, WMA personnel quickly mobilized to divert and control the sewage bypass flows, to prepare the repair work areas, and to perform CCTV sewer survey of the failed section of pipe to expeditiously determine the extent of the repair needed and the most effective repair methodology, a release issued Saturday night from WMA said. "Our contractor, O'Reilly Plumbing, worked continuously to complete this repair within 48 hours to minimize the adverse impacts to the environment and public health."
Approximately 60 feet of 24-inch corroded ductile iron pipe was replaced with C-900 polyvinyl chlorinated (PVC) plastic piping. The VIWMA capital improvement plan includes the systematic replacement and rehabilitation of the existing 30-to-50-year-old badly corroded ductile iron sewer lines with new PVC pipe materials.
As unanticipated pipe failures occur, the incremental replacement of sections of the sewer system with PVC pipe advances the long term goals of the authority to completely renew the sewer infrastructure, the release said.
For more information, please contact the Office of Communications Management at 773-4489.

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