SHIP SYSTEMS ISE ADVISORY NO. 001-81
HIGH PRESSURE WATER JET CLEANING (HYDROBLAST)
OF SHIPBOARD SEWAGE COLLECTION,
HOLDING AND TRANSFER (CHT) SYSTEM PIPING
NAVSSES PHILADELPHIA PA MSG 292133Z JAN 81
REF: A. CNO WASHINGTON, DC 222221Z JAN 81 (NOTAL)
l. IN RESPONSE TO AGENDA ITEM SEWAGE DISPOSAL 8-80 FROM THE AT-
LANTIC FLEET HM&E CONFERENCE, THE TEXT OF NAVSSES SHIP SYSTEM ISE
ADVISORY 1-80 IS RETRANSMITTED:
"1. CLOGGING OF URINAL AND WATER CLOSET DRAIN PIPING ON US NAVY
SHIPS IS A RECURRING MAINTENANCE PROBLEM, RECENTLY ACCENTUATED BY
THE INSTALLATION OF SEWAGE COLLECTION, HOLDING AND TRANSFER (CHT)
SYSTEMS. OPTIMIZATION OF SEWAGE HOLDING TIMES REQUIRED INTERMITTENT
FLUSHING WITH RELATIVELY LOW VOLUMES OF SALT WATER. CHT SYSTEM
OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE INDICATES THAT A CHEMICAL SCALE (CALCIUM
CARBONATE) PRECIPITATES OUT OF THE SALT WATER MIXTURE AND DEPOSITS
ON THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF THE SOIL DRAINS AND MAINS. THE PROBLEM IS
THEREFORE MORE PREVALENT IN THE SOIL DRAINS FROM URINALS AND WATER
CLOSETS: HOWEVER, IT IS NOT LIMITED TO THESE DRAINS. THE UNINHIBITED
COLLECTION OF THIS CHEMICAL SCALE IN THE CHT SYSTEM PIPING OVER AN
EXTENDED PERIOD CAUSES SEVERE BLOCKAGES. LOSSES OF SOILPIPING CROSS-
SECTIONAL AREAS AS HIGH AS 75 PERCENT HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN DRAIN
MAIN OF 4". THIS BUILDUP OF SCALE HAS IN MANY CASES TAKEN PLACE
WITHIN A TWO-TO THREE-YEAR SPAN OF TIME.
2. CONVENTIONAL METHODS OF CLEARING THE BLOCKAGE IN THESE PIPING
SYSTEM UTILIZING PLUNGERS, PLUMBING SNAKES, FIREMAIN HOSE PRESSURE
ETC., HAVE PROVEN TO BE INEFFECTIVE AND PROVIDED ONLY TEMPORARY
CORRECTION. CLEANING WITH ACID SUCH AS SULFAMIC ACID OR MECHANI-
CAL CLEANING WITH DEVICES SUCH AS "ROTO ROOTER" HAVE NOT BEEN COST-
EFFECTIVE OR EFFICIENT.
3. AT THE PRESENT TIME THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT MEANS
OF REMOVING SCALE BUILDUP FROM THE CHT PIPING SYSTEM IS USING A, 10,000
PSI, 20GPM WATER JET PROCEDURE (HYDROBLAST) SIMILAR TO THAT EM-
PLOYED TO CLEAN BOILER TUBES. THIS METHOD HAS BEEN DEVELOPED OVER
THE PAST TWO YEARS BY NAVSSES AND HAS BEEN USED TO EFFECTIVELY
CLEAN THE CHT PIPING SYSTEMS IN USS RALEIGH (LPD-1), USS JOSEPHUS
DANIELS (CG-27), USS VIRGINIA (CGN-38), USS SOUTH CAROLINA (CGN-37), USS
SURIBACHI (AE-21), USS FAIRFAX COUNTY (LST-1193) AND USS WICHITA (AOR-1).
THE SYSTEMS IN THESE SHIPS WERE CLEANED BY SIMAS AND BY CONTRACTOR
PERSONNEL UNDER THE TECHNICAL GUIDANCE OF NAVSSES. OTHER SHIPS ARE
CURRENTLY IN PROCESS OF HAVING THE CHT SYSTEM CLEANED BY THIS
METHOD WITH THE WORK BEING ACCOMPLISHED BY SHIP'S FORCE OR SHIP-
YARD PERSONNEL UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF NAVSSES.
4. THE PREREQUISITE TO SATISFACTORY, COST-EFFECTIVE HYDROBLAST
CLEANING OF THE CHT SYSTEM PIPING IS ADEQUATE PLANNING. THE PLAN-
NING INCLUDES A SHIPCHECK TO TRACE OUT THE SOIL DRAIN SYSTEM TO
DETERMINE IF THE SYSTEM CONFIGURATION MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS FOR
HYDROBLAST CLEANING. THE PLANNING SHIPCHECK INCLUDES RECOMMEN-
DATIONS FOR PIPE FITTING REPLACEMENT, CLEANOUT INSTALLATION AND
OTHER MODIFICATIONS AS REQUIRED TO FACILITATE THE HYDROBLAST
CLEANING OPERATION. THE PLANNING PHASE MUST BE SCHEDULED FOR
ACCOMPLISHMENT FAR ENOUGH IN ADVANCE OF THE SCHEDULED HYDRO-
BLAST CLEANING TO ALLOW SUFFICIENT LEAD TIME FOR PROCUREMENT AND
INSTALLATION OF FITTINGS AND CLEANOUTS AS REQUIRED.
5. PRESENT PLANS CALL FOR NAVSSES (FORMERLY NAVSEC PHILADELPHIA,
PA) TO TRAIN AND CERTIFY SIMA, IMA AND CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL ON
BOTH THE EAST AND WEST COAST TO ACCOMPLISH HYDROBLAST CLEANING OF
CHT SYSTEM PIPING. PLANS ALSO INCLUDE NAVSEA/NAVSSES PROCUREMENT
OF ADDITIONAL CHT HYDROBLAST EQUIPMENT FOR SIMA'S AND IMA'S. IN THE
INTERIM HYDROBLAST CLEANING OF CHT SYSTEM PIPING WILL BE ACCOM-
PLISHED UTILIZING THE WATER JET UNITS PROVIDED FOR CLEANING BOILER
TUBES.
6. PENDING NAVSEA ESTABLISHMENT OF A HYDROBLAST CLEANING TRAIN-
ING PROGRAM, ALL CHT SYSTEMS HYDROBLASTING IS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED
UNDER THE DIRECTION OF NAVSSES CODE 031D. POINT OF CONTACT FOR
TECHNICAL DIRECTION/GUIDANCE FOR HYDROBLAST-CLEANING CHT PIPING
SYSTEMS IS MR. A GEYER, CODE 031D, A/V 443-4128/3058/3922, COMMERCIAL
(215) 755-4128/3058/3922."
2. THE STATUS OF THE HYDROBLAST PROGRAM SINCE THE ISSUANCE OF ISE
ADVISORY 1-80 IS AS FOLLOWS: THE USS MOUNT WHITNEY (LCC-20), USS
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN-69), USS ELLIOT (DD-967), USS GUAM (LPH-9), USS
AMERICA (CV-66), USS BLAKELY (FF-1072), USS JULIUS A. FURER (FFG-6), AND
USS CLAUDE V. RICKETTS (DDG-5) AND AN ADDITIONAL 15 SHIPS HAVE HAD
THEIR CHT PIPING SYSTEM HYDROBLASTED BY SHIPYARD, SIMA, IMA AND SHIP'S
FORCE PERSONNEL, ALL UNDER THE TECHNICAL GUIDANCE OF NAVSSES. IN
ADDITION, BY REF A CNO RECENTLY DIRECTED COMNAVSEASYSCOM TO FUND
BASIC ALTERATION CLASS DRAWINGS (BACD'S) NECESSARY TO SUPPORT THE
PROGRAM AND TO ESTABLISH A PMS PROCEDURE FOR ACCOMPLISHMENT OF
CHT PIPING SYSTEM HYDROBLAST CLEANING.
THIS ADVISORY IS APPLICABLE TO THE FOLLOWING CLASSES OF SHIPS:
AE-21, AOR-1 CG-26, CGN-36, CGN-38, LPD-1 AND LST-1179.
LPD-1