Bethel replaced approximately 1,400 linear feet of 8-inch diameter asbestos cement/transite water main with 8-inch diameter PVC piping and replaced the existing 1.5-inch water service lines connecting 193 housing units water shutoff valves to the water main at NAWS China Lake.
Once the design was approved, the replacement of the 8-inch diameter water main required excavation to five feet deep along Nimitz Ave, crossing several driveways and other utilities including gas, electric, communications lines, and sprinkler systems in order to facilitate the installation of the new piping. Bethel then disinfected, pressure tested, and connected the new 8-inch water main piping to the existing water main. A total of 13 lateral lines were also reconnected, five of which were replacements of the entire fire hydrant lateral line and fire hydrant. Following these services, Bethel demolished and properly disposed of the existing 8-inch asbestos cement/transite water main piping at an approved landfill. The water service in the existing 8-inch diameter water main remained operational through the entire duration of the work, keeping planned outages to no longer than 4 hours.
In addition, Bethel replaced the existing 1.5-inch waterlines connecting the water shutoff valve to the water main for 193 housing units. The existing water service line and water main were exposed by saw-cutting the asphalt or concrete roadway and excavating the subbase, which in some areas was cement slurry. In addition, there were many underground utilities in each excavation that needed to be protected including gas, electrical, and communications lines. From there, the existing 1.5-inch diameter water service line was demolished and a new line was installed from the water main to the water shutoff valve.
