Ottawa County Regional Water Corrosion Mitigation Project

In 1999, Ottawa County completed construction of the $67.8 million dollar Regional Water Treatment Plant, Transmission and Distribution Supply System. The project included a new 6 million gallon per day (mgd) water treatment plant, 3 elevated water towers and 147 miles of transmission and distribution mains. A total of 181 miles of water main pipe is presently owned, operated and maintained by the County. In 2005, the water treatment plant was expanded to 9-mgd to serve the expanding water supply needs of the County. The Regional Water Transmission System serves the City of Port Clinton, the Village of Oak Harbor and also provides water to Ottawa County’s distribution system that supplies water to Ottawa County customers located in 7 townships including Bay, Catawba Island, Danbury, Erie, Harris, Portage and Salem. The Regional Water system also maintains an emergency service connection to the Village of Marblehead and the Carroll Township Water District that is permanently in place and available to each of the water systems, if needed. The Regional Water Transmission and Distribution System included various sizes of ductile iron, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pressure pipe. All of the water main fittings (hydrants, valves, tees, elbows, etc.) on both the ductile iron piping and the PVC piping that was installed in 1999 were made of ductile cast iron. In July 2000, the first Ottawa County Regional Water leak occurred due to corroded bolts (14 months after the system was placed into operation). From July 2000 through August 2002, Ottawa County experienced 14 additional bolt failures throughout the then 3-year old water transmission and distribution system — all due to accelerated corrosion. The DIP corrosion issue was an unanticipated problem and challenge that Ottawa County has had to deal with. If left unattended, the condition presents a serious threat of accelerated deterioration. The standard useful life timeframe of DIP in a public water supply system is considered to be 50 years, or longer. In order to maximize the useful life of Ottawa County’s existing DIP system, the County is moving forward with, what has been determined to be the most cost effective solution to the problem; that being the cathodic protection retrofit plan. Scientific case studies have proven that this type of cathodic protection program is an effective external corrosion control method for DIP. The officials directly responsible for the operation, maintenance and administration of the Ottawa County Regional Water System have systematically pursued the resolution of the corrosion problem. Legal and engineering experts including corrosion specialists have worked with local officials to determine how best to investigate the cause and extent of the problem; to determine the potential for the recovery of damages through litigation; and to pursue the necessary implementation of the recommended corrective action solution. Changes in corrosion testing standards in the 1990’s, changes in the DIP industry’s manufacture and composition of ductile iron products, local soil conditions that vary substantially throughout the regional water project service area and an industry wide reliance on the special coatings that are applied to the thinner walled DIP product installed in a dissimilar metal environment all played a role in the corrosion issues that have been experienced. Ottawa County hired an engineering firm by the name of Corrpro (a worldwide corrosion expert) to investigate and analyze the extent and cause of the corrosion problem. What Corrpro revealed was that accelerated corrosion deterioration (caused by a corrosive soils environment) had already damaged many of the bolts throughout the water system and substantially reduced the life of the bolts

where the corrosive conditions were the most extreme. In addition to the bolt corrosion issue, the 35 miles of Ductile Iron Pipe (DIP) that was installed as part of the 1999 Regional Water project had also begun to experience exterior pipe pitting and corrosion in various areas. Corrpro, upon completion of its investigation and analysis, laid out a two-step mitigation plan to address the corrosion deterioration. Step one (1) of the plan involved the immediate complete replacement of all the bolts and nuts that were part of 2100+ valve, hydrant, tee and elbow assemblies. In addition, a cathodic protection plan was recommended utilizing 32 pound magnesium anode bags that were attached to the 2,100+ valves, hydrants, tees and elbows to serve as sacrificial anodes to preserve and protect the integrity of the ductile iron water system appurtenances. Cathodic protection is a technique to control the corrosion of a metal surface by making that surface the cathode of an electrochemical cell. The bolt replacement construction project and protection of the 2,100+ ductile iron appurtenances was completed in 2005 at a total project cost of $1,864,000. Through 2005, Ottawa County has spent $2,391,435 for all of the engineering studies, investigations, legal fees and construction repair work to 1) define the exact nature and extent of the entire water transmission and distribution corrosion problem and 2) physically replace all of the bolts and install magnesium anode bags to protect the 2100+ valves, hydrants, tees and elbow assemblies that serve the water system. Fortunately, all of the step one (1) work that was outlined in Corrpro’s original plan has been completed. Step two (2) of the Corrpro Corrosion Mitigation Plan involves the installation and retrofitting of magnesium anodes to each length of DIP by excavating or auguring a hole through the ground over the DIP. The anode wire is then spot-welded onto the DIP using a special tool designed for this purpose to complete the anode connection. The procedure being utilized, which is considered a retrofit repair, is similar to a program referred to as the “Break Reduction Life Extension” (BRLE) program. The technology has been proven to be very successful and is being utilized by water utilities throughout Canada and the United States experiencing similar conditions. In the BRLE program, anodes are installed every eighteen feet along the water main with the intent of providing cathodic protection to the majority of the pipe. If occasional fittings or joints of pipe are missed, they are later repaired and protected when failure occurs. Ottawa County has chosen to purposely protect each fitting to minimize future failures, especially fitting repairs, which are much more difficult and result in a longer interruption in water service than pipe repairs. This technology is considered to be the most cost effective method to address the exterior DIP pitting and corrosion problem. Ottawa County has 35+ miles of DIP that was installed in 18’ to 20’ lengths, which breaks down to approximately 9,250 excavations (1 for each length of pipe). In August 2003, Ottawa County hired the engineering and design firm of Metcalf and Eddy (Cleveland, Ohio) to prepare an assessment of the condition of the DIP system. Metcalf and Eddy confirmed the earlier recommendation of the Corrpro study and recommended that the DIP system be protected in an established priority order as outlined by Corrpro to preserve the life and integrity of the existing DIP. The transmission areas that were determined to be at the greatest risk were scheduled to be repaired first. It was initially determined by Corrpro, and then later confirmed by Metcalf and Eddy that the DIP, if not protected, would be subject to premature failure at an excessive rate. The first Ottawa County, Regional Water DIP water main break (due to corrosion) actually occurred in 2005. The rate of DIP failures will increase if the corrosion issue is not addressed within a reasonable timeframe. The recommended program of retrofitting the DIP with magnesium anodes is planned to be completed in a 3-Phased approach by 2009. The total cost of protecting the entire 35+ miles of Ottawa County’s DIP system is estimated to be 5.4 million dollars. Ottawa County completed the installation of the first phase of the cathodic protection retrofit program in 2006 at a total project cost of $1,028,051. Through the support of Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur’s office, Ottawa County secured a $962,200 Federal STAG Grant appropriation to assist in minimizing

the local share cost of the Phase I, DIP Corrosion Mitigation Project. The Phase I project served to protect the largest Regional Water Transmission Mains located on Fremont Road, Wilcox Road, Lockwood Road and State Road in Portage Township. The detailed design and construction financing for the Phase II, DIP Corrosion Mitigation Project was developed and completed in 2007. The Phase Il construction project began in January 2008 and is scheduled to be completed in December 2008 at a budgeted total project cost of $2,775,384. The financing for the Phase II project includes a $325,000 Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) Grant, a 20-year, $1,200,000 million dollar low interest loan from the Ohio EPA, Water Supply Revolving Loan Account (WSRLA), a $90,000 OPWC, Credit Enhancement Grant and the balance to be provided through existing system revenues. Kwest Group, LLC, 960 S Plasterbed Road, Port Clinton, Ohio is the qualified low bid contractor that will be performing the Phase II repair work and was also the contractor that completed the Phase I project. Kwest Group completed the Phase I work in a very timely manner within the original budget. The overall condition and structural integrity of the DIP system throughout the Phase I project area was determined to be sound and will continue to serve the community with proper maintenance of the magnesium anode system now in place. The attached map identifies the water transmission and distribution piping that will be protected as part of the Phase II, DIP Corrosion Mitigation Project. The Phase II work will protect the DIP on State Route 53 and Cemetery Road within Catawba Township; Lightner and State Road in Danbury Township; the unfinished areas of State Road in Portage Township; West Lakeshore Drive and West Harbor Road in Erie Township; State Route 53, Darr-Hopfinger, Oak Harbor SE, Mulcahy and Wilcox Roads in Bay Township; and within the City of Port Clinton, portions of State Route #163, Perry, Madison, Third, Monroe, Garfield and Ohio Streets. The third and final phase of the DIP, Corrosion Mitigation Project is estimated to cost $1,600,000 and will serve to protect the balance of DIP on Oak Harbor SE Road in Salem Township; the State Route 163 water distribution main supplying water to the Danbury Township elevated water tower; and the remaining Lakeshore Drive transmission main serving customers in Erie Township. The detailed design and financing for the Phase III, DIP Corrosion Mitigation Project will be completed in July 2008. Construction of the Phase III project will begin in late 2008 and will be completed in 2009. Once again, through the support of Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur’s office, Ottawa County has been listed to secure an approximate $500,000 Federal STAG Grant appropriation to assist in minimizing the local share cost of the Phase III, DIP Corrosion Mitigation Project. In addition, Ottawa County has applied for a $300,000 OPWC Grant to be awarded in July 2008. The balance of the funding for the Phase III project will come from existing Operation Repair and Replacement Reserves and an Ohio EPA, WSRLA Low interest loan (the exact amounts will be determined once the project is under contract). The condition and integrity of Ottawa County’s DIP system will be preserved once all three phases of the cathodic protection retrofit program are completed. We have learned, based upon the sample digs and tests that were performed throughout the DIP system that the degree of severity of the corrosion is not uniformly consistent and varies from place to place. Fortunately, the frequency of the water main breaks experienced throughout the DIP system to date has been minimal. However, the rate of DIP failure will, in time, increase if the recommended repairs are not made. In the end, legal and engineering experts, including corrosion specialists that were involved with the analysis and review of the problem agreed with local officials that limited dollars directed toward addressing the corrosion problem while pursuing a federal and state subsidized corrective action solution would better serve the community than a costly litigated remedy sought in court.

LegendPhase 1

Phase 2 (Transmission)

Phase 2 (Distribution)

Phase 3 (Transmission)

Phase 3 (Distribution)

.Ottawa County Water Department

Implementation PhasesJuly 2007

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