Wastewater Trenchless Rehabilitation Program

As part of the Town of Fort Erie's ongoing efforts to maintain and improve its wastewater infrastructure, the Engineering Department is progressing through key phases of the 2025 Trenchless Rehabilitation Program. This program is designed to identify areas where trenchless rehabilitation of the sanitary sewer system—including sewer services—is appropriate and effective.


2025 Trenchless Rehabilitation Program Key Components

The full scope of the Trenchless Rehabilitation Program includes the following phases:

  • ✅ Drainage Survey Inspections (Completed)
  • 🔧 Smoke Testing Investigations (In Progress)
  • 🔍 Sanitary Sewer Lateral CCTV Investigations (In Progress)
  • 🕳️ Maintenance Hole Inspections (In Progress)
  • 🔄 Wastewater (Mainline) Trenchless Rehabilitation (In Progress)
  • 🔄 Sanitary Sewer Lateral Trenchless Rehabilitation
  • 🧱 Sanitary Sewer Maintenance Hole Rehabilitation

By implementing trenchless rehabilitation, the Town can proactively maintain the sanitary system, reduce the risk of backups and overflows, and ensure compliance with environmental and regulatory standards.

What is the Wastewater Trenchless Rehabilitation Program?

The Wastewater Trenchless Rehabilitation Program was developed to extend the lifespan of existing wastewater infrastructure and reduce the inflow and infiltration of stormwater into the sanitary sewer system.

Using closed-circuit television (CCTV) inspections, the Town has assessed the condition of sanitary sewer pipes to identify and prioritize candidates for rehabilitation. When defects are detected early, pipes can be repaired using a trenchless, no-dig method known as Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP).


Key Benefits of the Program:

  • Cost-effective: Avoids the high costs associated with excavation, pipe removal, and surface restoration.
  • Time-efficient: Repairs can often be completed within hours or a few days.
  • Minimally disruptive: Landscaping, driveways, sidewalks, and other nearby structures remain undisturbed.
  • Environmentally friendly: Minimizes material waste and reduces the risk of contamination from leaking pipes.
  • Durable and reliable: Creates a strong, seamless pipe within the old one that resists leaks, cracks, corrosion, and root intrusion—while also improving flow and capacity.

What is Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP)?

CIPP is a rehabilitation method that involves pulling or inverting a resin-saturated liner into the sewer, pressurizing it so it expands and adheres to the host pipe, and then curing the resin with hot water, steam or UV light. Once cured, the liner itself forms new pipe inside the original defective host pipe.

The CIPP method is well-established and more cost-effective compared to traditional pipe excavation and replacement. It ensures that the infrastructure will maintain an adequate level of service for well over 50 years into the future. It also has the benefits of eliminating joints and providing a complete seal against inflow and infiltration of groundwater. More importantly, for residents, it is a much quicker process with only minor inconveniences in comparison to traditional open-cut pipe replacement.


Where is the Work Happening?

The mainline trenchless rehabilitation are currently focused in key priority areas:

  • Fort Erie – North Neighbourhood

📍 View exact project boundaries using the Study Area Map on the right-hand side of this page.


What Residents Need to Know

  • Start Date: September 15, 2025
  • Location: North End neighbourhoods
  • Notices: Properties in the immediate area of the work will receive multiple notifications hand-delivered by a project representative.
    • Notice of Construction: a notice of upcoming work in your area, project specific information, Contact names, phone numbers and emails
    • 48-Hour Notice: Hand delivered by the contractor 48 hours in advance of the CIPP lining taking place.
  • Traffic & Property Impacts:
    • Minimal traffic impacts expected
    • No service interruptions anticipated
    • Temporary driveway disruptions may occur; the contractor will coordinate directly with any affected property owners


Design and Construction (The process)

The elements of construction include the following:

  • Video inspection by CCTV - Videos are completed at minimum four times for the sewer lining process, and include
    • V1 (pre-works inspection)
    • V2 (post-pipe preparation inspection)
    • V3 (post-CIPP or final inspection)
    • V4 (one-year maintenance inspection).

This is a simple process with no risk or disruption in service to customers. A mobile camera is run from one maintenance hole to the next.

  • Pipe Preparation - Preparation of pipes for lining may include the following tasks:
    • Cleaning - The pipe is cleaned with a high-pressure jet to remove debris, grease and other materials in the sewer.
    • Reaming - If roots and other hard-deposits are found, reaming of these materials will be required using a robotic cutter.
    • Void filling - If significant voids are present, they may need to be filled robotically prior to lining.
    • The pipe preparation process does not result in an interruption to service.
  • CIPP Lining - The lining process involves multiple steps that typically happen over the course of a single day (12 hour period), as follows:
    • Insertion of liner - A resin-saturated liner is delivered to site, and installed into the host pipe by pulling it in place or inversion. This point begins the process that temporarily reduces service to customers.
    • Curing the liner - The liner is cured with heat, either using hot water, steam, or UV light.
    • Reinstatement of service - Once cured, the new CIPP pipe ends are cut open, and a robotic cutter is inserted into the liner to cut open service connections. After this is complete, the sewer is back into regular service. This typically takes 4-6 hours.


🙏 Thank You

We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work to maintain and improve Fort Erie’s critical underground infrastructure.