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.

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