5. Basic network maintenance

5.1 Pipe cleaning

Even a perfectly constructed network needs to be periodically cleaned to remove obstructions and maintain a constant flow of effluent (wastewater, rainwater, etc.). It must be completely cleaned and flushed at least every two years.

In a number of major cities around the world, cleaning teams only intervene when the height of material in 400 mm pipes, for example, reaches 100 mm on the vertical diameter.

Teams are also called in to deal with one-off or general blockages in a pipe: build-up of solid matter following a storm, discarded...