As NASSCO continues to set standards for the assessment and rehabilitation of underground infrastructure and ensure the continued acceptance and growth of trenchless technologies, our library of resources expands.

The newest addition is the recently released “Specification Guideline for Sewer Pipe Cleaning.” Developed to provide clarity on issues that have proven problematic for the procurement of pipeline cleaning services, the specification guideline encompasses all industry perspectives. The ultimate goal is to provide an understanding and knowledge base from which all parties can communicate in a clear and concise manner.

The specification guideline was created to provide a comprehensive, uniform and consistent template for the procurement of sewer line cleaning based on current industry services and technologies. Written and reviewed by a panel of 19 industry experts — including contractors, equipment manufacturers, municipalities, engineers, operators and field technicians — the specification guideline provides step-by-step guidance for the successful planning, implementation and completion of sewer cleaning projects.

Standardized work items with well-defined levels of effort and quality of work, including light cleaning, heavy cleaning and root, deposit and lateral cuts, are included in the guideline. Work items are defined in terms of PACP observations to provide consistent understanding of the project requirements, benefiting both the owner and the contractor. Other sections include Scope of Services and Work Phasing, Compliance and Acceptance, Submittals, and Measurement and Payment, to name a few. A sample project bid sheet is also provided as well as a PACP Header Field Checklist identifying mandatory fields and those required for a specific cleaning project.

Created to allow flexibility for the end-user, whether it be the owner, engineer or municipality, the specification guideline is not intended to be simply cut and pasted into a specification. The flexibility rests in the ability to customize the specification to specific budget and service requirements. Further, it requires the facility owner to make decisions while creating the document. This level of customization is necessary because specific services or technologies may not be applicable to all geographic locations or for each unique project.

Prior to release, the specification guideline was peer-reviewed and presented by NASSCO’s Industry Standards Committee, which is composed of experts in the field including contractors, owners (public and private), equipment manufacturers, operators and engineers.

I encourage you to utilize the many resources available at NASSCO.org, including a variety of publications, technical manuals, white papers and — of course — free specification guidelines.