At FER-PAL we specialize in reducing environmental impact in both practice and process. We strive to lower our footprint every step along the way.

Sustainability Best Practices

Reduce Reuse Recycle – Reusing as many materials as possible limits waste on projects. Wherever items can be reused, such as lumber, above-ground bypass piping, asphalt grindings, FER-PAL reuses until they no longer provide value.

Emissions Tracking – All vehicle usage and emissions generated are actively tracked to work towards reducing the carbon footprint on each project.

Reducing GHG Emissions:

Rehabilitate vs Replacement – The FER-PAL process to rehabilitate watermains has proven to drastically reduce the environmental footprint of a project compared to traditional open-cut replacement. On average cured-in-place lining reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80 to 90 per cent compared with traditional open-cut replacement. This equates to roughly 378 tons of GHGs for every mile of pipe rehabilitated. This includes the materials, their transport, and the GHGs required to manufacture and install them.

Reduction in Traffic/Community Disruption – In addition, with the FER-PAL process, you reduce the amount of GHGs significantly because of the reduction in cars sitting idling in construction traffic — which does not occur on a CIPP installation site.

Protecting Natural Resources

When most watermains were installed, cities placed trees on top or close to them as the neighbourhood was developed. These mature trees are now irreplaceable. Typical construction methods would require these trees be removed and replaced with a sapling. Not on FER-PAL’s sites. On average, FER-PAL saves more than 500 mature trees yearly across its projects due to its less invasive CIPP installations. Not to mention the various wetlands, rivers, and creeks that FER-PAL works around to ensure the environmentally sensitive areas are not disrupted as the watermain is structurally lined.

Extending Life Infrastructure

With FER-PAL’s pipe rehabilitation process, you not only avoid uprooting your community, but you  can also extend the life of existing infrastructure by as much as 80 to 100 years, keeping communities safe, and saving them money at the same time.

Providing Safe, Clean Water

The FER-PAL process using ALTRA technology prevents lead from migrating into drinking water. Big cities across North America are facing emerging risk, as aging infrastructure threatens the reliability and quality of their water supply. There are an estimated 240,000 water main breaks per year in the US, wasting over two trillion gallons of treated drinking water. According to the American Water Works Association, an estimated $1 trillion is necessary to maintain and expand service to meet demands over the next 25 years.

The proven ALTRA water lead technology protects aging water infrastructure by creating a lead-proof barrier inside existing pipes at a fraction of the cost, time, and disturbance of traditional replacement technology that can ensure long-term resilience and environmental protection. It is also especially beneficial for lining old deteriorating pipes and lines with leaching contaminants, such as lead and copper pipe, as it acts as a barrier.

PFAS Solution

We dispose of PFAS (the “toxic forever chemicals”) more cost-effectively than anyone else. There are hundreds of contaminated sites in Canada and the US. No complete record of those sites is available but military bases, airports/heliports, landfills, water treatment plants, wastewater treatment plants as well as industrial facilities are known locations where the risk of PFAS is very high.

Our expert partners have been performing risk assessments and implementing environmental clean-up solutions for 50 years, building a reputation as innovators and logistics experts along the way. Together, our partners have treated OVER 10 BILLION LITERS of contaminated water for a broad range of industrial customers.