Limerick’s water supply network has been improved through the use of pipeline cleaning technology, which has improved capacity and flow rates of trunk mains. The cleaning system took water from the raw water source to the Clareville treatment works by the river Shannon. Powered by water recycling vehicles, this was the first time that the Typhoon cleaning system has been utilised in Ireland, using water-jetting technology to clean internal pipe walls and remove solid mineral build-up and hard encrustation. The system has been used on some of the most difficult sections of the city’s water mains infrastructure, tackling difficult bend sections and inclines. Developed by UK based Hydrascan Ltd, Typhoon is being operated in Ireland by Galway-based Walsh Waste Ltd working for Veolia Water. The hydro-powered jetting system was used to clean 2,200 metres of 450mm-diameter pipe running from a raw water source, under the river Shannon and to a water treatment plant. [login type="readmore"] Offering a long-range solution – up to 1km (500m in each direction) – from a single point of access, Typhoon is a family of cleaning pigs ranging from 6-40 inches (150-1,000mm) in diameter that can be used with water recycling machines around the world. Water pressure is used to propel the cleaning mechanism along the pipe until cleaning mode is activated and the pig is drawn back, cleaning internal pipe walls. Radial fan jets ensured a total clean of the internal pipe walls of Limerick’s water supply, while water pressure and jetting angles could be adjusted to ensure pipe linings were unaffected by the cleaning. The pipe rehabilitation work follows on from a 36-month project to provide a modern, up-to-date, water treatment facility on the existing site at Clareville. Limerick City Council and its representative, RPS Consulting Engineers, engaged the Veolia Water Water/Ascon (BAM) Consortium to meet the long-term challenge. After the three-year refurbishment and expansion, the plant was officially opened on 25 June 2010 and Veolia Water is operating the plant under the terms of the Public Private Partnership for a period of 20 years.