Fauquier County Forcemain Condition Assessment

Challenge

The Fauquier County Water and Sanitation Authority (FCWSA) in Virginia relied on two major pressurized wastewater pipelines that functioned as vital arteries for the communities of Bealeton, The Plains, and Marshall. The Craig Run Lift Station line stretched nearly 5,900 linear feet of 14-inch ductile iron pipe, while the Lift Station C line extended about 18,000 linear feet and was built from a combination of PVC and ductile iron. Together, these systems carried millions of gallons of wastewater over the years, quietly doing their job with steady, uninterrupted reliability.

Despite their importance, little was known about their internal condition. Buried forcemains, unlike above-ground assets, are challenging to inspect and can deteriorate silently over time. Age, flow conditions, and chemical reactions within wastewater all contribute to hidden risks such as leaks, trapped air or gas pockets, and gradual pipe wall degradation. Left unchecked, these issues can lead to sudden failures that disrupt service, trigger costly emergency repairs, and cause environmental damage.

FCWSA recognized the need to move beyond reactive maintenance and instead adopt a proactive, data-driven approach to managing these assets. Understanding the true health of the forcemains was essential for protecting residents, safeguarding the environment, and building confidence in the long-term reliability of the county’s wastewater system. 

Solution

To meet this challenge, FCWSA partnered with SEH and Pure Technologies, a Xylem brand, to assess the condition of its major wastewater forcemains.

After discussing the goals of the assessment, FCWSA chose to utilize SmartBall® technology – a free-swimming, spherical tool that moves with the flow of pressurized wastewater – to perform the inspection without interrupting service, requiring bypass pumping, or excavation.

Planning and Coordination 

Executing a condition assessment of this scale required careful planning and coordination between FCWSA and SEH. Before deployment, SEH conducted site visits to review existing records, verify pipeline access points, and identify potential obstacles. Insertion and extraction locations were mapped out, and plans were made for how to safely control flows during SmartBall® launch and retrieval.

The project team also evaluated external factors such as traffic impacts, confined space entry, and excavation needs. Each scenario was addressed in a detailed planning document that covered equipment logistics, tracking sensor installation, and communication protocols. With that preparation in place, fieldwork kicked off smoothly and largely without surprises, thanks to the Authority’s operations team who handled valve and pump operations, secured access to manholes and structures, and coordinated traffic control as needed.

Inspection and Findings

Over the course of several days, the SmartBall® device was introduced into each forcemain and allowed to travel the full length of the pipelines. Tracking teams stationed at key points along the alignment monitored its progress, ensuring precise location data was collected at all times.

In addition to leak detection, the inspection revealed valuable information about the presence of gas pockets, transitions between pipe materials, and changes in diameter. These insights painted a complete picture of pipeline behavior and areas most susceptible to future deterioration.

Reporting and Next Steps

Once data collection was complete, SEH compiled the results into a comprehensive report. This document included acoustic intensity plots, aerial alignment maps, tabulated results, and dig sheets marking each anomaly or area of interest.

The report served as more than just a technical summary – it became a practical decision-making tool. With this information, FCWSA could prioritize maintenance activities, schedule targeted inspections, and allocate resources effectively. Rather than reacting to emergencies, the Authority gained the ability to strategically manage its system, extend the service life of its infrastructure, and plan for future capital improvements with confidence.