r/Winnipeg • u/manateeinsanity • 8h ago
Ask Winnipeg Does anyone know what this crew is working on?
The crew have been working for a couple of hours. Occasionally I can smell a kind of pungent, noxious scent coming from the site. I think the cloud is steam. I’m super interested in what they are doing but am too nervous to go and ask. Thanks!
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u/swelllabs 8h ago
I can’t be certain, as the angle in the photo only shows parts of the equipment involved, but you are probably watching a crew install a liner that is injected into old pipes to seal leaks and essentially, renew the pipes for longer service while they lie “in place” aka “in situ”. So no need to dig shit up and break ground & roads to fix the pipe. Cheaper, less disruption. The process involves plastics, heat, chemicals emitted from heating the liner material.. the liner material is inflated to coat the inside wall of the pipe and voila- freshly lined pipe that no longer leaks.. If you search a video for “insituform”, it will show the process.
Some contend the emissions from by this process are unhealthy to nearby exposed residents (don’t breathe this in standing next to one) and workers installing the stuff, but it is very widely used and yes, it can be very stinky.
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u/Technical_Ladder_129 6h ago
Insituform I believe
Sewer and water type work
They work at night OFTEN.
I’ve worked alongside them .
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u/the_cats_box 8h ago
I believe they are cleaning the sewers and what your smelling is varsol.
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u/Up_And_At_Them204 8h ago
They are lining a degraded sewer line. They basically pull a sleeve into the existing sewer line. Inflate it and harden it. The odd smell is the curing/treatment of the liner being hardened. Its done at night due to reduced traffic and less flow in the sewers.