Replacement sewer pressure pipeline Baarlo - Blerick

A complex task in a fragile environment

Commissioned by the Limburg Water Board, GW Leidingtechniek is replacing the 6 kilometer long sewer pressure pipeline between the pumping station in Baarlo and an overflow pit in Blerick. After inspection, the existing pipeline, made of asbestos cement with a diameter of 500 mm, was found to be in very poor condition. The task was clear: secure and replace the pipeline as quickly as possible, with minimal risk to the environment and the operational reliability of the pumping station. And that right through a valuable natural and recreational area along the Meuse.

“To ensure the continuity of the system, we initially installed a temporary above-ground steel pressure pipeline along its entire length,” begins Dirk Habraken, project coordinator at GW Leidingtechniek. “The pipeline was tested, squeezed, declared leak-free and then commissioned. This allowed the old asbestos cement pipeline to be decommissioned immediately and we are now replacing it in phases. Implementation began in August 2025 and the temporary pipeline has been functioning properly ever since.”

Seven phases

The overall project is divided into seven phases. “For each phase, a portion of the old pipeline is carefully excavated and remediated according to the applicable procedures, including working with protective equipment and disposing of material in sealed containers,” Habraken explains.

“After remediation, the trench is elevated and the new HDPE pipe in an outside diameter of 560 mm (SDR17) is assembled next to the trench. The pipe sections are welded in the field into long strands and then withdrawn into the cleaned up trench. The first section of the new pipeline has now been laid.”

Switching

A major advantage of the chosen approach, according to Habraken, is that sewage can be transferred on a phase-by-phase basis. “The changeover from the temporary to the final pipeline is smart and controlled. T-pieces are included in the temporary pipeline, with which a connection to the new pipeline is realized per phase. This allows the new pipeline to be prepared per phase without taking the system out of service. At the time of switching, valves are operated and wastewater flows directly through the new pipeline. This keeps interruptions to the pumping station to a minimum and allows the temporary pipeline to be progressively cleared.”

Parallel to the Meuse

The route largely runs parallel to the Meuse, in some places only a few meters away. Habraken: “The project area lies in a valuable nature and recreation area and has many interests: Rijkswaterstaat, the municipalities of Venlo and Peel and Maas, Stichting Limburgs Landschap and various private landowners. Furthermore, we operate in the habitat of beavers, Galloway cattle and on dike sections, for which appropriate measures have been taken to safely combine nature and work. On the dike sections the temporary pipeline lies on concrete blocks to prevent deterioration, while outside the dikes high water has been taken into account. Thanks to the concrete blocks, the steel pipeline does not form a barrier.”

What makes this project special is the practical and flexible approach, according to Habraken. “Due to experience with a similar project in 2019 on the other side of the Meuse, each phase can be worked efficiently and the temporary situation is constantly being reduced. With a compact but effective deployment of people and equipment and an eye for sustainability, including the use of electric drainage pumps, we are working steadily toward a successful completion. Phases 1 through 6 will continue until the end of 2026. Phase 7, near the pumping station, forms a separate project because of its concurrence with the stream realignment and dike reinforcement (HWBP) and is scheduled for early 2027, with completion in mid-March.”