Sewer Rehabilitation in Haiger: 100 Years of Safety with Ecoresist

The backlog of sewer rehabilitation in the German sewer network will remain a significant challenge even in 2025. Current data from the German Association for Water, Wastewater, and Waste (DWA) show that more than 18% of sewers require rehabilitation in the short to medium term. Despite an annual rehabilitation rate of about one percent of the public sewer network – equivalent to roughly 6,000 km – this progress is insufficient to meet long-term requirements. To ensure a long service life for sewer systems, planners often opt for pipes with special properties in certain situations. For example, in cases where higher chemical and mechanical stresses are expected – which reduce operational safety and ultimately the service life of the infrastructure – reinforced concrete pipes with a polymer inner lining are a suitable choice. In Haiger, in Central Hesse, officials have been relying for several years on the Ecoresist pipe and manhole system from the Finger-Beton Group.

This pipe system was used in a total of nine sewer rehabilitation projects in 2024 in this small town in the Lahn-Dill district. Due to the polymer inner lining, Ecoresist pipes are slightly more expensive than standard reinforced concrete pipes. However, the planners responsible have found that this additional expense pays off over the years. The reinforced concrete pipes, with their secure internal polymer lining and precisely fitted joints, guarantee dimensional stability, corrosion resistance, and shear load safety - and thus operational reliability over a longer period than conventional reinforced concrete pipes. Even when compared to a “normal” plastic pipe, Ecoresist pipes offer the reliability of a dimensionally stable reinforced concrete pipe. Furthermore, pipes in water extraction areas are often subject to particularly high requirements. Here, Ecoresist pipes provide an ideal solution.

100% shear load resistance

Installers are also convinced. Kevin Neuser of Karl Fey GmbH & Co. KG in Haiger says: “For example, during the sewer construction work on the 300-meter-long Hickenweg within the town limits, we installed several meters of Ecoresist pipes in the sizes DN 400, DN 500, and DN 600. The advantage: The high-precision connection between spigots and sockets guarantees 100% shear load safety. Absolute tightness is ensured even under shear loads down to the zero position. This also applies when the pipes are bent to their maximum angle. As a result, the system can reliably deliver on its potential even in challenging installation situations in practice. “Due to the long-standing and positive collaboration between the Finger-Beton Group and Fey, as well as our confidence in the product’s quality – particularly with regard to workability on the job site and the absence of defects throughout the warranty period – we frequently opt for this pipe system,” says Neuser.

Julian Seidlitz, site manager at Baustra GmbH in Wilnsdorf, shares this view: “Based on our positive experiences over the past few years, we also relied on the durable liner system from Finger-Beton for the rehabilitation of the sewer line on Hinterm Graben Street. Thanks to a spacer strip installed at the base of the socket and ball-head transport anchors in the pipe wall, safe installation is also guaranteed.”

A sustainable solution to challenges in today’s sewer construction

Sascha Heidrich, sales manager at the Westerburg plant of the Finger-Beton Group, confirms: “The Ecoresist system is the sustainable solution to challenges in today’s sewer construction. In addition to its stability, it also stands out for its resistance to high-pressure flushing. Likewise, the precisely fitted pipe joints (sockets and tapered ends) offer excellent protection against unintended impact and shock loads. House adapter pipes enable a secure house connection. Upon request, the installation of lateral connections can also be carried out using approved, commercially available installation fittings, either at the factory or on-site,” says Heidrich.

The project in Haiger demonstrates how sustainable sewer rehabilitation can work. Thanks to the Ecoresist pipes, which promise a service life of 100 years, the project in Haiger – completed in 2024 – should remain trouble-free for the foreseeable future.