On August 13, 2022, at 4:30 a.m. a 120-inch PCCP water transmission main from Lake Huron experienced asignificant failure about one mile west of the treatment plant. The transmission main, the largest in the regional distribution center, was constructed in 1968 of embedded cylinder PCCP. PICA was contracted by an engineering consultant to conduct an emergency mobilization and inspection of a portion of the pipeline on either side of the failure. PICA assembled and shipped a Near Field Testing (NFT) electromagnetic inspection tool to the project site within 24 hours of notification, and within two days PICA’s equipment and crew arrived on site ready to inspect the pipe.

PICA inspected a total of 1.5 miles of pipe and delivered the inspection results before PICA’s inspection crew left the site. PICA identified a number of distressed areas with large wire break counts and also flagged a discrepancy between the numbering on the lay sheets and the numbering on the interior of the pipe.