Are you searching for a no-dig plumbing solution? When most people think of plumbing solutions, they think of traditional plumbing repair, which often includes cutting through walls, jackhammering through concrete foundations, and digging in yards. The truth is that you don’t have to choose a traditional plumber for all of your pipe repairs. There are trenchless technologies that can speed up the repair process, cost you less money in the short and long term, and last just as long as installing new plumbing pipes. Let’s take a look at the environmental impact of traditional and trenchless plumbing solutions.
Environmental Challenges of Traditional “Dig” Plumbing Repairs
If you’re looking for an environmentally friendly way to repair your plumbing pipes and stop leaks, traditional pipe repairs, and replacements may not be the solution. The truth is that traditional pipe repairs often result in habitat destruction, soil erosion, damage to trees, contaminated water, and increased carbon emissions.
- Destruction of Natural Habitats – When a sewer line has to be replaced, a traditional plumber often has to dig down to the existing sewer pipe. This can destroy grass, bushes, shrubs, and other plant life that provides habitats for the local wildlife.
- Tree Root Damage – If there are tree roots near the trench, they can be damaged or completely removed by the digging process. This can severely damage and even cause the loss of the tree.
- Soil Erosion – The trench and mounts of dirt created by the traditional plumbing company can lead to soil erosion. Soil erosion is caused when wind or rain removes the dirt from an area.
- Water Contamination – Soil erosion can also lead to water contamination. This occurs when the runoff from disturbed soil reaches a lake, stream, or river.
- Increased Carbon Emissions – Traditional pipe replacement often results in increased carbon emissions. This is due to the process of manufacturing new plumbing pipes. After all, new material needs to be mined. Then, those mined materials need to be transported to the foundry for extraction. Next, the pipes need to be manufactured and then transported to the store or warehouse where they are purchased by the plumber. All of this manufacturing and transporting creates a lot of greenhouse gases.
The Environmental Advantages of Trenchless No-Dig Plumbing Solutions in Chicago
You might be surprised to find out that almost all plumbing pipes can be lined with either an epoxy coating or an epoxy pipeliner, and the materials and process are sustainable and environmentally friendly.
- Epoxy Coatings – Safe for potable water lines – Involves mixing a two-part epoxy and either blowing it through the water lines with compressed air or brushing it on with special tools. This helps seal pinhole leaks and hairline cracks.
- Epoxy Pipeliners – Safe for drain lines, sewer pipes, and vent stacks – Involves mixing a two-part epoxy and saturating a felt or fiberglass liner before inserting it into the plumbing pipe. This helps restore structural integrity to the pipe while sealing cracks and holes.
No Digging
Trenchless pipe repair is trenchless. This means that there’s no need to excavate down to your sewer line in order to repair it. There’s also no need to jackhammer through your foundation or bust through your concrete walls to reach your plumbing pipes.
No Landfill Waste
Having your Chicago building’s plumbing pipes lined with epoxy doesn’t result in massive amounts of landfill waste. Landfills are known to release harmful greenhouse gases, including methane, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and carbon dioxide. If they’re located next to a water source, runoff from the landfill can pollute that water, and if humans live near a landfill, they could experience an increase in health problems and birth defects.
No Soil Erosion
Epoxy pipelining doesn’t contribute to soil erosion. That’s because the soil isn’t disturbed. Trenchless pipelining seeks to use existing cleanouts and access points in order to connect the pipelining equipment.
No Water Contamination
Epoxy pipelining doesn’t create a significant risk of water pollution. This is because the soil is not disturbed and no harmful chemicals are released during the pipelining process.
No Tree Damage
Since large trenches aren’t dug, there’s little risk of damaging nearby tree roots. This means that your property management company won’t have to hire additional contractors to remove any dead or damaged trees.
Trenchless Pipelining with Epoxy has a Minimal Carbon Footprint
Trenchless pipelining with epoxy doesn’t contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. This is because no new materials need to be mined, and heavy materials don’t need to be transported. According to Science Direct, traditional pipe replacement results in 5,379 metric tons of CO2 being released into the air. That’s the equivalent of driving 13,697,944 miles in a passenger car or powering 722 homes for 12 months. By contrast, trenchless pipelining only contributes 887 metric tons of CO2. That’s the equivalent of driving 2,258,798 miles or powering 119 homes for one year. This means that if you’re looking for an environmentally friendly way to rehabilitate your existing plumbing pipes, trenchless pipelining is the better option.
Epoxy Pipelining Can Help Reduce Resource Consumption Over Time
Did you know that lining your pipes with epoxy can help your building use fewer resources over time? It starts when you choose epoxy pipelining to rehabilitate your plumbing pipes. When you make that choice, you are deciding not to purchase or use new plumbing pipes, which reduces resource consumption. Next, epoxy-lined pipes are less prone to leaks. This is because the epoxy fills gaps and cracks, as well as seams and joints. This helps stop current leaks while preventing future leaks, which helps reduce your Chicago building’s water usage. Lastly, you’ll reduce the need for plumbing repairs. This is because the host pipes will no longer come into contact with water, which means they won’t experience any further corrosion or deterioration. When all of these things come together, it means your building will experience reduced resource consumption over time.
Choose a Cost-Effective and Environmentally Friendly Way to Rehabilitate Your Plumbing Pipes with NuFlow Midwest
If you’re looking for a way to rehabilitate your plumbing pipes that are cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and no-dig, you should check out epoxy pipelining by NuFlow Midwest. NuFlow Midwest offers a no-dig plumbing option when it comes to repairing pinhole leaks and cracks in existing plumbing pipes.
Many property managers, building owners, and superintendents have already chosen to have their plumbing pipes rehabilitated with epoxy because it doesn’t cause damage to the building’s finishes. It helps reduce water waste by eliminating leaks. It’s minimally disruptive to business operations and residents, and it costs less than a traditional pipe replacement when all costs are considered.
It’s also a great choice for building owners who are concerned about the quality of their drinking water. Metal plumbing pipes can leach chemicals and heavy metals into the building’s water supply. When those same metal pipes are lined with epoxy, toxic chemicals, and heavy metals stop leaching into the water supply from the building’s existing plumbing pipes.
The process of lining your plumbing pipes with epoxy starts with a building pipe assessment. These assessments are very useful for high-rises, condos, office buildings, schools, municipal buildings, and entertainment venues, as well as other types of commercial and residential buildings. The assessment includes a detailed camera inspection, a detailed estimate, and a recommendation for or against pipelining. It’s enough information that you can take it to your boss, the building owner, the property management company, or the HOA and present the findings. Once you decide to line your pipes with epoxy, all you need to do is call us to set up the pipelining schedule.
If you’re ready to be more environmentally friendly while choosing a cost-effective no-dig plumbing rehabilitation method, contact us.