MEMPHIS, Tennessee -- Xylem designed and built an emergency sewer bypass after unprecedented rainfall eroded soil surrounding a 96-inch wastewater sewer main in Memphis, Tennessee last year.
Xylem last week released details of the project. The company designed and built the bypass in just six days following a sixteen-inc rainfall in Memphis during the spring of 2016. The deluge forced the city to activate their Emergency Response plan, which involved constructing a 2,400-foot-long, 40-foot-wide access road through swamp land.
More from Xylem's press release on the project:
A team of nearly 200 people composed of Xylem engineers, Memphis Public Works and contractor personnel worked in tandem to accelerate the project timeline, completing the entire turnkey bypass operation in record time. Typically this magnitude of bypass pumping would take between two to three weeks to be designed and constructed. However, the Xylem-led team completed the emergency task in just six days.
“At Xylem we pride ourselves on being a 24/7 company. We’re always available with a team of people who use their expertise and experience to solve complex customer challenges every day,” said Ken Albaugh, Regional Director for Xylem’s pump rental business. “This project is a great example of how we use our in-depth experience and resources to rectify an emergency situation, while minimizing environmental impact and ensuring adherence to all regulations.”
“Xylem provided us with the expertise and efficiency we needed in this emergency situation,” said Paul Patterson, Environmental Engineering Administrator for the City of Memphis. “This allowed us to focus our efforts entirely on design and construction and getting the pipe replaced. And that was key.”
The damaged 96-inch sanitary sewer main crossed South Cypress Creek and carried wastewater to the T.E. Maxson Wastewater Treatment Plant in Memphis. The bypass system needed to handle 160 million gallons per day (MGD) of peak flow and traverse 2,400 linear feet from the suction point to the discharge location.