Extending the Life of Critical Infrastructure: BulletLiner® Rehabilitation of Cleveland Water’s St. Clair 24-Inch Water Main

Aging water infrastructure presents a growing challenge for utilities across North America. When critical pipelines reach the end of their service life, utilities must balance reliability, cost, and community impact while selecting the most effective rehabilitation solution. 

That was the challenge facing Cleveland Water along St. Clair Avenue NE in Cleveland, Ohio, where a 385-foot segment of a 24-inch steel water main required rehabilitation to ensure continued service reliability. 

The Challenge 

The water main serves a critical role within Cleveland Water’s distribution system and is located along one of the city’s heavily traveled corridors. Replacing the pipeline through traditional open-cut construction would have created significant traffic disruptions, extensive excavation, and increased project costs. 

In addition to the busy location, the pipeline alignment presented a unique engineering challenge. The water main rises above grade to cross the I-90 bridge overpass, navigating two 45-degree bends before transitioning back underground through two additional 45-degree bends. 

The project team needed a rehabilitation solution that could: 

• Restore the structural integrity of the pipeline  

• Meet Maximum Allowable Operating Pressure (MAOP) requirements  

• Successfully navigate multiple 45-degree bends  

• Minimize excavation and surface disruption  

• Maintain traffic flow and public access throughout construction  

• Provide a cost-effective alternative to full replacement  

  
  

Selecting a Trenchless Solution 

After evaluating available rehabilitation options, the project team selected the BulletLiner® System FFRPP (Flexible Fabric Reinforced Plastic Pipe) as the best fit for the project’s structural and geometric requirements. 

Installed by SAK Construction, the AWWA Class III BulletLiner® liner offered the flexibility needed to negotiate the pipeline’s complex alignment while providing a fully structural rehabilitation solution capable of extending the life of the existing asset. 

Unlike traditional replacement methods, the BulletLiner® System required only small access pits at each end of the 385-foot segment, dramatically reducing the project footprint and limiting impacts to the surrounding community. 

Installation and Execution 

Working as a subcontractor to NOCE Construction, SAK Construction completed the installation in early January 2026. 

The rehabilitation process involved: 

• Accessing the pipeline through small entry and exit pits  

• Installing the BulletLiner® System through the existing 24-inch steel water main  

• Successfully navigating all four 45-degree bends within the alignment  

• Inflating the liner to create a close-fitting structural pipe within the host main  

• Installing compression termination fittings  

• Completing final tie-ins to the existing water transmission system  

The flexibility and installation efficiency of the BulletLiner® System allowed the project team to complete the rehabilitation over a short construction duration while keeping traffic disruptions to a minimum. 

Results 

The project delivered significant benefits for Cleveland Water and the surrounding community: 

• Avoided extensive excavation and open-cut replacement  

• Successfully rehabilitated a geometrically complex pipeline  

• Maintained traffic flow along a heavily traveled corridor  

• Reduced construction impacts on nearby infrastructure and businesses  

• Lowered overall project costs compared to traditional replacement  

• Extended the service life of the water main by a minimum of 50 years  

  
  

A Smarter Approach to Water Main Renewal 

As utilities continue to address aging infrastructure, trenchless technologies are proving to be valuable tools for extending asset life while minimizing disruption to communities. 

The successful rehabilitation of Cleveland Water’s St. Clair Avenue water main demonstrates how the BulletLiner® System can provide a fully structural solution even in challenging installations involving multiple bends, constrained work zones, and critical infrastructure. 

By leveraging trenchless rehabilitation, Cleveland Water was able to renew a vital water main, protect public infrastructure, and deliver long-term value to customers-all while avoiding the costs and impacts associated with full pipeline replacement. 

Now a question for our readers: 

As aging infrastructure challenges continue to grow, is your utility exploring the most efficient and cost-effective options to renew critical water mains without the impacts of traditional replacement?