Challenge

The distribution and transport of drinking water for a number of municipalities in Flanders is one of Farys’ core activities. Farys manages approximately 700 kilometres of drinking water transmission pipes among which made of steel-reinforced concrete, ranging in age from 50 to over 100 years. As a result, the risk of failure is becoming increasingly real. Work on these pipes causes significant disruption to the local area, residents and other utility companies. Farys wishes to validate the technical feasibility and cost-efficiency of the SIPP (Spray in Place Pipe) method – whereby a robot applies a coating to the inner walls of the pipes for drinking water pipelines in a controlled test environment. If successful, Farys will then be able to apply the technology more widely and thus safeguard the quality of the critical transport infrastructure for drinking water in Flanders.