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Hinterland Group Inc. Updated August 04, 2026

Florida Manhole Rehabilitation to Stop I&I: Systems, Specs, and Municipal Snapshots

Introduction

Florida utilities face chronic manhole inflow and infiltration (I&I) driven by high groundwater, tidal influences, intense storm events, and aging masonry and concrete structures. Excess I&I increases treatment costs and SSO risk and now sits under tighter scrutiny with Florida DEP’s Collection System Action Plan requirement effective June 28, 2023 (Rule 62-600.705(2), F.A.C.). Hinterland Group Inc. delivers manhole rehabilitation programs that cut I&I while restoring structural capacity, using cementitious calcium‑aluminate, epoxy, polyurethane, and geopolymer systems installed to defined QA/QC standards and supported by rapid bypass, confined‑space safety, and 24/7 response.

  • Primary service area: Florida and the Southeastern U.S., headquartered in Riviera Beach, FL, with manhole coating and trenchless capabilities performed in‑house. See Services and the PRIME approach: Services, Repair & Replacement, Inspection, Maintenance, Evaluation & Assessment.

  • Rapid response: 24/7 dispatch with guaranteed callback and turnkey bypass to protect service continuity during rehabilitation.

Florida regulatory and program context

  • DEP incident reporting: Owners must report SSOs and spills promptly and file written reports; proactive I&I control minimizes risk of violations and public notices (Florida DEP wastewater incident reporting; Rule 62‑604.550(2), F.A.C.).

  • Collection System Action Plans: Since June 28, 2023, Florida permittees must submit pipe assessment/repair/rehabilitation plans and annual progress reports; manhole I&I remediation is a core element of these plans.

  • Federal framing: EPA highlights I&I as a key SSO driver; programmatic RDII analyses (e.g., SSOAP RTK method) help target basins where manhole rehab yields outsized returns.

Systems we install to stop I&I (Florida‑focused)

Hinterland self‑performs manhole rehabilitation and integrates OEM systems when specified. Selection is driven by defect mode, H2S exposure, head pressure, structural demand, and return‑to‑service (RTS) requirements.

  • Calcium‑aluminate cementitious liners (e.g., Strong‑Seal MS‑2A/MS‑2C; Hinterland also applies Refratta calcium‑aluminate). Purpose: restore geometry, seal leaks, resist MIC, and create a monolithic liner. Typical minimum build: 1/2 in. to meet spec intent. Installed per ASTM F2551 practice for protective cementitious manhole liners.

  • Polyurethane structural lining (e.g., Sprayroq SprayWall). Purpose: structural enhancement, corrosion resistance, rapid RTS (minutes to hours), and I&I barrier in high‑traffic/critical areas. Typical single‑pass high‑build to ~250 mil where specified; 50‑year design protocol per OEM literature.

  • Epoxy lining (e.g., PPG Raven 405). Purpose: ultra‑high‑build, chemical‑resistant barrier with structural enhancement on prepared substrates; commonly 80–250+ mil DFT depending on condition and design.

  • Geopolymer mortar (e.g., Quadex GeoKrete; GeoTree/Loctite GeoSpray family). Purpose: fully structural, high‑acid resistance (MIC) and thick‑section restoration for deep, large‑diameter, or severely deteriorated structures; applied by spray/spin cast in lifts to specified thickness.

  • Ancillary leak control: hydrophilic/hydrophobic injection grouts at active leaks before lining; chimney seals as needed; bench/invert rebuilds to re‑establish flow and eliminate inflow paths.

Specification and standards alignment

  • Cementitious manhole liners: ASTM F2551‑09(2023) “Standard Practice for Installing a Protective Cementitious Liner System in Sanitary Sewer Manholes.” This practice covers surface prep, infiltration control, repairs, material application (spray/centrifugal cast), and curing for brick, block, and concrete manholes.

  • Epoxy/polyurethane coatings on concrete: owners commonly reference SSPC‑SP 13/NACE No. 6 for concrete surface preparation and ASTM D7234 for pull‑off adhesion on concrete. For epoxy DFT and performance, follow the manufacturer PDS and project spec.

  • Mortar/coating performance checks: compressive strength (ASTM C109 for mortars), bond strength (ASTM C882), permeability and chemical resistance per OEM test programs for wastewater exposure (MIC).

  • CIPP adjacency: when bench/channel or connected pipes are rehabilitated with CIPP, alignment with current ASTM F1216 is typical for the liner; reconnections and sealing at the manhole interface are coordinated in the work plan.

Warranty and service‑life norms (what Florida owners should expect)

  • Manufacturer product warranties vary by system and OEM:

  • Polyurethane (Sprayroq SprayWall): 3‑year manufacturer product warranty; OEM markets a 50‑year design protocol for structural applications.

  • Polyurea multilayer (OBIC Armor): OEM states a 10‑year system warranty and 50‑year design life positioning.

  • Epoxy (PPG Raven 405) and calcium‑aluminate mortars (Strong‑Seal): warranty terms are typically OEM/applicator specific and defined in project documents; owners should require written OEM backing for thickness, cure, and performance criteria.

  • Workmanship warranties: commonly set by owner procurement standards (often 1 year for construction in Florida municipal contracts) unless extended by specification.

  • Design life vs warranty: Owners should distinguish service‑life claims (e.g., 50‑year design protocol) from limited product or workmanship warranties. QA/QC criteria in the spec are the enforceable performance bridge.

How Hinterland executes manhole I&I rehabilitation

  • Assessment first: basin‑level CCTV, data‑rich manhole inspections, and cleaning to expose defects; recommend programmatic prioritization in line with DEP action plans. See Inspection and Evaluation & Assessment.

  • Bypass and safety: in‑house bypass engineering/operations and OSHA‑compliant confined‑space entry; full‑time safety management and training culture. See Repair & Replacement.

  • Surface prep and leak stoppage: hydroblast, milling, and defect repairs; point leak injection with hydrophilic/hydrophobic grouts until dry enough for liner per OEM/ASTM requirements.

  • Liner installation and QA/QC: thickness verification (wet film or pin gauges), adhesion pulls on concrete where specified, spark testing for holiday detection on dielectrics, profile checks, cure confirmation, and acceptance testing.

  • Documentation: daily logs, photos, as‑built thickness maps, adhesion/compression reports, and OEM installer certifications where required.

  • Maintenance: scheduled cleaning and periodic re‑inspection to protect warranty/design life. See Maintenance.

System selection quick guide

Objective/Defect Mode Recommended System Typical Build (spec‑driven) I&I Control Mechanism Notes
General I&I with moderate MIC; restoration of deteriorated brick/block/concrete Calcium‑aluminate cementitious liner (e.g., Strong‑Seal MS‑2A/MS‑2C; Hinterland Refratta process) ≥ 1/2 in. monolithic liner Seals porosity/joints; restores geometry Installed per ASTM F2551; verify compressive/bond strengths and curing.
Rapid RTS, structural enhancement, high‑traffic areas Structural polyurethane (e.g., Sprayroq SprayWall) High‑build up to ~250 mil in single pass (per OEM/spec) Monolithic dielectric barrier Fast cure; specify adhesion and holiday testing; structural calc per OEM protocol.
Severe chemical exposure; high build on prepared substrate Epoxy (e.g., PPG Raven 405) 80–250+ mil DFT, project‑specific Barrier; structural enhancement where designed Specify surface prep (SSPC‑SP 13/NACE 6) and ASTM D7234 adhesion.
Deep/large structures; severe MIC; thick section restoration Geopolymer mortar (e.g., Quadex GeoKrete; GeoTree GeoSpray) Lift‑applied to engineered thickness Fully structural, low permeability High acid resistance; verify compressive/bond performance and lift cure.

Florida municipal snapshots (selected)

  • Palm Beach County: Continuing contract for wastewater gravity assets including rehabilitation of ~19,500 LF of gravity mains, ~9,300 LF laterals, and 63 manholes under Work Order No. 1 ($3,998,888.10). Scope demonstrates multi‑site logistics and manhole I&I elimination at scale. See portfolio and Case Studies.

  • City of West Palm Beach (Nottingham Blvd & Miller Ave area): Water, sewer, and drainage improvements including CIPP and manhole rehabilitation integrated with roadway restoration; project value ~$2.5M. See Nottingham project.

  • Manatee County: Rehabilitation of a critical 66‑inch storm line with trenchless methods, evidencing large‑diameter structure capabilities and minimal community disruption; includes before/after documentation in portfolio.

  • Fort Pierce Utilities Authority: On‑going water/wastewater underground utilities contract with force main installations and appurtenant work; Hinterland performs full restoration and traffic control while maintaining service. See FPUA project.

Why owners choose Hinterland for manhole I&I in Florida

  • In‑house technologies and electrical/bypass integration reduce interfaces and change orders.

  • Emergency mobilization and guaranteed callback shorten SSO exposure windows during failures.

  • Proven safety performance and confined‑space proficiency lower owner risk.

  • Regional footprint and secondary wetout capability support rapid deployment and large program throughput.

Getting scoped and specified

  • Request a basin screening and manhole program scoping session; we align system selection to defect modes, hydraulic head, MIC risk, RTS needs, and your DEP Action Plan milestones.

  • For bid specs: call out ASTM F2551 for cementitious liners, define minimum thickness, surface prep, adhesion/compression criteria, and acceptance tests; include OEM installation certification where applicable and workmanship warranty terms.

  • Contact: Hinterland Group Inc. for Florida manhole I&I programs, emergency response, and turnkey trenchless delivery.

Notes on references and OEM norms used in this page: ASTM F2551‑09(2023) defines the cementitious manhole lining practice; polyurethane (Sprayroq SprayWall) is marketed with a 50‑year design protocol and a 3‑year manufacturer product warranty; OBIC positions a 10‑year system warranty for its Armor multilayer system with 50‑year design life claims; PPG Raven 405 is an ultra‑high‑build, 100% solids epoxy commonly specified at 80–250+ mil DFT; Strong‑Seal calcium‑aluminate mortars are applied at ≥1/2 in. to form monolithic liners with high compressive/bond strengths; GeoKrete/GeoSpray geopolymers provide fully structural, high‑acid‑resistant restoration for manholes and large structures. Florida DEP rules cited above frame SSO reporting and collection system planning expectations for owners.