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Strafford County: Riverside Rest Home sewer relining underway; brief resident relocations expected
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Summary
County officials reported progress on a cured-in-place pipe lining project at Riverside Rest Home after crews removed toilets, cleaned residue and temporarily shut water. Work is expected to finish in about six weeks; two residents were briefly relocated, and the drains will be unavailable roughly 30 hours during each affected wing's work.
Strafford County commissioners heard an update on a cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining project at Riverside Rest Home, where crews removed residue from existing drain connections, relined interior sewer lines and temporarily shut water to portions of the facility.
County staff said the first half of the lining work began recently and crews removed toilets on an affected wing to clear residue that might otherwise dislodge and clog the new liner. Workers installed a resin-coated liner and cured it in place with ultraviolet light; after curing, a camera and robot were used to locate and cut reopening holes to the fixtures. The county described the product as appearing "inside out" after installation because of how the liner is inverted during the process.
The county said crews temporarily shut water at 11 a.m. on the day the lining began and that drains on the affected wing will be unavailable for roughly 30 hours total while the resin cures and the ends are secured. County staff estimated the overall project timeline for the nursing-home portion at about six weeks and described current progress as on schedule.
Why it matters: the work addresses worn or open spots in old cast sewer pipe inside the facility, and county officials said the CIPP method avoids trenching through occupied areas. Relining reduces the need to relocate large numbers of residents or excavate building interiors, the county said.
Details and impacts - Resident relocations: County staff said the crew initially displaced up to four residents to allow simultaneous work at both ends of a wing; that number was reduced to two as of the update and the two displaced residents were expected to return within days (the county said a fuller return was planned the following week). Work on other wings will be scheduled to minimize displacement. - Service interruptions: The county reported a single-day water shutoff event at 11 a.m.; drains in the work area are expected to be out of service for roughly 30 hours while resin cures and openings are finished with a robotic cutter and camera guidance. - Project scale and timing: The county described the nursing-home portion as part of a larger project estimated at about a quarter-million dollars and said the current best estimate for completion of the active wing is about six weeks. - Pumping and grinder equipment: Commissioners discussed replacement and bidding for sewage pumps and grinder ("muffin monster") equipment. A vendor quote discussed in the meeting put individually sized pumps with cutter options at roughly $19,000 (vendor and full procurement scope were not specified at the meeting). County staff said they expect to put appropriate units to bid and to arrange for bypass pumping during installation so the system can remain in service. - Wider sewer network: Staff described downstream constraints at a local pump station and explained that some off-site flows (including landfill leachate and other commercial connections) tie into the same system; those interconnections and elevation changes require pumping and add complexity to repairs.
Staff described close coordination with contractors to monitor cure quality, to run camera inspections and to ensure the liner does not become clogged by residual material that could have been left at toilet-flange connections. The county said crews plugged fixture openings and used temporary measures (rags, commodes, portable handwashing stations) to preserve resident care while drains were unavailable.
Next steps and follow-up County staff said they will complete camera verification of liner openings, continue the scheduled sequence of wings and return residents to their rooms when safe. The county will also pursue procurement (an RFP or bid) for replacement sewer pumps and coordinate bypass pumping for those installations.
Votes at a glance - Approval of minutes for the prior meeting: motion moved and seconded; commissioners voted in favor and the motion passed. (Details: mover and seconder not specified in the record excerpt other than the motion and that it passed.) - Motion to move to nonpublic session for contract negotiations: recorded mover "Lee" and seconder "Crystal"; motion taken at the end of the meeting and entered as the meeting moved to nonpublic session.
Sources: spoken updates by county staff and commissioners during the public meeting (see transcript excerpts).
