In the spring of 2016, an unprecedented 16 inches of rain fell on the city of Memphis, Tennessee. This extraordinary event eroded the soil beneath a critical 96-inch sewer main and caused the line to fail. The city immediately activated its emergency response plan and contacted experts at Xylem Rental Solutions.

Partnering with the city, Xylem quickly mobilized an emergency bypass solution that minimized the impact of the failure on the environment, ensured regulatory compliance and maintained service levels. Xylem orchestrated a team of nearly 200, including Xylem engineers, Memphis Public Works personnel and local contractors to complete the turnkey bypass operation in record time.

In just six days, powerful Godwin rental pumps were moving up to 160 million gallons per day.

Paul Patterson, environmental engineering administrator for the city of Memphis, summed it up: “Xylem was able to marshal the equipment, the pumps and whatever else was needed and get the job done. They had the resources, number one, and they had people who understood and knew how to utilize those resources.”

With Xylem in charge of the bypass, the city was able to focus solely on repairing the 96-inch sewer main line.

Click here for more information about Xylem’s wastewater solutions.