Renovation of drinking water supply

Main lines

During the renovation, the main pipe in the street will be replaced first.

• This requires the asphalt in the area of the new pipeline route to be broken up.
• The civil engineering work will be carried out in sections of approx. 20 metres per day.

As soon as the new pipe has been laid in the street and tested for leaks and hygiene, it will be integrated into the existing network.

House connection pipes

Once the main pipe has been laid, the house connection pipes must be connected. There are several options for this.

1. If the service pipe is in good condition or has been renewed in recent years, the existing service pipe can be transferred from the old main pipe to the new one.
2. If the service pipe is in need of renovation, it must be replaced.
   • In some cases, renewal can be carried out using a renovation capsule. In this case, the new service pipe is pushed through the existing pipe.
   • If this is not possible, the renewal is carried out using the open trench method, in which a trench is dug into which the new house connection is laid.

As soon as all service lines are connected to the new main line, the old main line will be taken out of service.

Drinking water losses

Drinking water losses in the Rodgau pipeline network have increased in recent years. The reasons for this are

• Some of the pipes are very old
• Corrosion-prone materials used

Analysis and criteria for refurbishment

The increased water losses prompted us to analyse the entire pipe network with regard to its need for renovation. The criteria for renovating the main water pipe are

• the line age
• the number of pipe bursts on the lines
  
  

Purpose and benefits of refurbishment

The renovation of the pipes contributes to this,

• secure the supply of drinking water.
• to avoid pipe bursts and contamination.
• improve the water pressure for neighbouring residents if necessary.
• minimise the loss of drinking water as a resource.

Overall project

The project will start in mid-May. The planned duration of the project is 10 years.

• Around 3 kilometres of water pipes are to be renovated every year.
• By the end of the period, around a quarter of the drinking water network will have been renovated.
  
  

Duration of the sections

The renovation of the pipes should progress at a rate of around 20 metres per day . In this way, we hope to minimise the impact on local residents. The construction site in the street will take a few months.

Investment amount & realisation

Stadtwerke is investing around €1.8 million a year in the refurbishment project. In order to minimise the costs for citizens and the municipal utilities, the refurbishment will be carried out primarily by the municipal utilities and not by external companies, both in the planning and implementation stages.

Restriction per section

During the renovation work, there will be road (and pavement) closures on one side of the affected street. In concrete terms, this means

• Around 20 metres of the pipeline are rehabilitated every day.
• The closures are usually 20-30 metres long.
• The parking ban sections are generally 40 metres long.
• The signs for the parking ban will be put up 3 days before the start of the construction work.

Access to driveways may be restricted during the work in this section. It is planned to complete the civil engineering work at the end of the working day so that the driveways are accessible again.

Water availability

The water supply will remain available during the construction work, as the existing pipeline will remain in operation until the new pipeline has been fully laid.

• Interruptions to the water supply last a maximum of 4 hours and only occur during the relocation or renewal of the house connection pipes.
• Residents are informed in advance when the water is turned off.

Before the start of the measure

During the construction work on the main pipeline, it is necessary to inspect the service pipes of the connected properties. The aim is to determine whether

• a renewal of the service pipe is necessary.
• the domestic installation meets the current standard.
  
  

Giving municipal utilities access

For this purpose, two employees of the municipal utility company must be granted access to the house connection room. The employees can identify themselves. As the owner of the property, it is your responsibility to keep the connection point freely accessible for the inspection. You should

• either be on site yourself
• or authorise a third party (e.g. a tenant).
  
  

Testing the earthing

According to the rules of technology (DIN VDE 0190), since 1 October 1990 it is no longer permissible to use the water pipe network as an earth electrode, earth conductor and protective conductor.

In the course of laying new water pipes, the existing house connection and supply pipes are replaced with plastic pipes. As a result, the water pipe loses its effect as an earth electrode.

In systems in which the water pipe network is used as an earth electrode, earthing conductor or lightning protection in an unauthorised manner despite the above-mentioned regulation, the homeowner is obliged to have the electrical installation checked by a specialist electrical company for safety reasons.

With impermissible earthing

If the water pipe is used as a building earth or if there is an earth connection on the drinking water house connection, you as the owner must commission a registered specialist electrical company at your own expense before renewing the water connection pipe.

• remove the earthing device.
• a mandatory main equipotential bonding must be established as a protective measure.

Appraisal

When inspecting the house connection, two employees of the municipal utility company will assess the condition of your house installation to determine whether the house connection pipe needs to be replaced. They will look at how old the existing pipe is, what material it is made of and whether all the necessary devices are present in the house installation (shut-off valve, meter bracket, etc.). (shut-off valve, meter bracket, etc.)

Clarification of presence

Stadtwerke employees will visit the property during the construction work without making an appointment.

At your request, appointments can also be arranged via customer service.

Costs for owners

The costs cannot be precisely calculated in advance and vary depending on the type of realisation.

1. If the house connection pipe is in good condition, the existing house connection pipe can be transferred from the old main pipe to the new one.
   
   
2. If the service pipe is in need of renovation, it must be replaced. This is possible in two ways

• Renewal via a renovation capsule
  The new service pipe is pushed through the existing pipe.
• Renewal by cut-and-cover
  This involves digging a trench into which the new service connection will be laid.

A rough estimate of the costs is approx. 500 € per metre, measured from the supply pipe to the transfer point in the house.

The water supply statutes of the city of Rodgau oblige property owners to reimburse the city for the actual costs of renewing and changing the connection pipe.

This means that after the house connection pipe has been relocated or replaced, owners will receive an assessment notice from the municipal utilities, which lists the costs for the work carried out and the material used. This assessment notice must be paid within one month of notification.

When inspecting the house connection, two employees of the municipal utility company will assess the condition of your house installation to determine whether the house connection pipe needs to be replaced. Attention will be paid to this,

• how old the existing line is
• what material the existing pipe is made of
• whether all the necessary devices are present in the domestic installation, e.g. shut-off valve, meter bracket, etc.

If necessary, grant the employees of the municipal utility company access to the house connection room after consultation with the owner.

No parking zones must be kept clear during the construction work.

Cars should be driven off the site before 7am during the construction period if they are used between 7am and 5pm.