1.

Gravity pipelines laid in open cut shall be tested after they are jointed and before any concreting or
backfilling is commenced, other than such as may be necessary for structural stability whilst under test.

2. The pipelines shall be tested by means of air and by a visual examination, in lengths determined by
the course of construction, in accordance with a program submitted by the Contractor and approved by
the Engineer. Generally pipelines will be tested as complete lines or between manholes.

Visual examinations shall be done by mirror and light, in which case, deviation of plus or minus 20mm,
i.e. for 160mm and 200mm pipelines a 75% and 80% clear gauging is required.

3. A further air test as detailed in section(b) shall be carried out after the backfilling is complete. Failure
of this test may require a water test as detailed in Section (a).

4. When called upon, the Contractor shall arrange for CCTV survey of lengths of sewers, as and when,
the Engineer may select it.

This survey may be done following completion of certain sewer lines and/or will be done prior to the
end of the defects correction period. Should however the inspection of the selected pipelines fail, the
Contractor shall first rectify the faults and subsequently arrange for hire of equipment and personnel to
repeat the tests and for the survey of any other lengths which the Engineer may identify, at his own

a) Water Test for Gravity Pipelines

1. The test pressure for gravity pipelines up to and including 750 mm nominal bore shall not be less than
1.2m head of water above the pipe soffit or ground water level, whichever is the higher at the highest
point, and not greater than 6 m head at the lowest point of the section. Steeply graded pipelines shall be
tested in stages in cases where the maximum head, as stated above, would be exceeded if the whole
section were tested in one length.

2. The pipeline shall be filled with water and a minimum period of 2 hours shall be allowed for
absorption, after which water shall be added from a measuring vessel at intervals of 5 minutes and the
quantity required to maintain the original water level noted. Unless otherwise specified, the length of
pipeline shall be accepted if the quantity of water added over a 30-minute period is less than 0.5 litres
per linear meter per meter of nominal bore.

Sewer pipelines exceeding 750mm diameter shall be visually inspected internally, before and after
backfilling and any defects shall be remedied.
b) Air Test for Gravity Pipelines

Gravity pipelines to be air tested shall have air pumped in by suitable means until a pressure of 100 mm
head of water is indicated in a U-tube connected to the system. The pipeline shall be accepted if the air
pressure remains above 75 mm head of water after a period of 5 minutes without further pumping,
following a period of stabilization. Failure to pass the test shall not preclude acceptance of the pipeline if
a successful water test, ordered by the Engineer, can subsequently be carried out.

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