Municipal pipeline system owners are under increasing pressure to repair aging and failing pipelines while both minimizing the impact on their community and maintaining cost-efficiency.

Previously reserved for wastewater systems, pipe lining is steadily on the rise in potable water applications. Due to the high pressure of the water travelling through the pipes, a more resilient solution is required as there is a risk of water getting between the liner and the pipe. To answer that need, Trelleborg Pipe Seals offers the lead-free, NSF-approved I-Lock-P mechanical seal and L-Lock-P liner end seal.

“Besides being suitable for high-pressure and potable water, the seals are durable and robust,” says Livia van Uitert, global marketing and communications manager for Trelleborg Pipe Seals. “They can be built up with extensions to repair damages of different lengths, giving ample flexibility of use. The expansion band mechanism and hydraulic expansion tool are designed to make the installation as simple as possible.”

Specifically developed for high-pressure potable water pipe lining, the seals provide a watertight seal for most types of pipe including steel, cast iron, concrete and plastic. Both are easily installed using a high-force hydraulic expansion tool and are available in multiple diameters. The L-Lock-P is a rubber liner end seal with stainless steel expansion bands, designed to keep the liner firmly in place. The I-Lock-P is a mechanical seal applied without a liner to repair sections of cracked or damaged pipe. They are designed to a pressure rating of 290 psi.

“The primary engineering challenge was to manufacture the seal in the NSF-approved EPDM 70 Shore A rubber,” van Uitert says. “Extensive work also came with the development of the hydraulic expansion tool, especially for small diameters where there are space constraints.”

So far, customers have seen many benefits of using the seals on their potable water systems. “They’ve told us that the install tool will be much easier to carry through the pipe with one hand and to disconnect from the pump and hose,” van Uitert says. “They also like that our seal spacers are locked into place with an I-beam design, where others they have used sometimes pop out of place because the spacers are not fixed. We are excited to see where we can go with this new line of products.” 800-626-2180; www.trelleborg.com/pipe-seals.