Getting a critical wastewater line flowing before Christmas – finding a solution for a failed wastewater main that couldn’t wait.
A 450mm concrete wastewater gravity main feeding the Stanmore Bay Pumpstation had completely failed, creating a critical situation for the local wastewater network.
Temporary over-pumping could keep the system operating during fine weather, but every significant rainfall event caused the lines to surcharge. With summer approaching and the Christmas shutdown period only weeks away, a permanent solution was needed quickly.
Kerry Drainage & Civil’s initial plan was to use pipe bursting to replace the failed section without extensive excavation. However, once investigation works began, it became clear that the existing concrete pipe was too extensively damaged for the proposed trenchless solution.
Adapting the solution to meet the deadline
Rather than allowing the change in circumstances to delay the project, Kerry Drainage & Civil reassessed the options and developed an open-cut replacement solution using 450mm SN16 PVC pipe.
The replacement needed to be designed and installed within a very tight timeframe. The new alignment also had to navigate around existing wastewater rising mains, requiring a custom bend in the new pipe.
In total, 48m of new 450mm PVC wastewater pipe was installed at depths of more than 5m.
Restoring the network before Christmas
The new wastewater main was brought back into service on 22 December 2025, allowing the temporary over-pumping operation to be shut down just in time for Christmas.
For local residents, this meant the noisy over-pumping operation could finally stop over the holiday period, while the permanent replacement provided a more reliable connection to the Stanmore Bay Pumpstation.
During the works, the team also identified a failed manhole with a large hole through its side. The team returned in the new year to replace this.
When the original trenchless solution proved impossible, Kerry Drainage & Civil adapted quickly, changed methodology and delivered a permanent replacement in time to restore normal operation before Christmas.