From the outside looking in, manhole rehabilitation may seem confusing and highly technical. What equipment does the process require? Which materials work best? Is it safe? What’s the first step? Our free training covers every part of the process step by step, point by point, but it never hurts to start with the big picture in mind.

The manhole rehabilitation process takes several forms, but in general, it consists of three main steps. The first step, surface preparation, includes cleaning the surface to remove dirt, oil, or other debris that could block the substrate from strongly adhering to manhole linings. In some cases, applicators may also need to modify surfaces to promote strong adhesion, but this is less common for manholes than for other types of wastewater infrastructure. After completing surface cleaning and modification, the next step is applying the manhole linings. Applicators create the linings by ejecting two precursor materials onto treated surfaces using high-pressure spray equipment, allowing them to react and form the elastomeric coating. This stage requires precision and strict adherence to best safety practices, including the use of respirators and specialized suits that protect applicators from dangerous chemical exposures. After application and once the precursor materials complete their reaction, the resulting linings become safe and sustainable. The third step—curing—involves allowing the new linings to dry, beginning in as little as a few minutes and typically completing over a few hours. That’s it! Municipalities only need to acquire the right tools and receive proper training to master each step and deploy their own manhole rehabilitation.