What Does
Feedermain Mean?
A feedermain is a type of pipeline used in the distribution of water, oil, or gas to homes, businesses, and communities. It is generally used to describe a pipeline that transports liquid or gas away from the primary repository and out to the those who need it. Pipelines in any industry are often installed using trenchless construction techniques.
Trenchlesspedia Explains Feedermain
Pipeline operators have no set terminology when it comes to referring to various tiers of a pipeline infrastructure. One project document talks about primary feeders, secondary feeders, and distribution mains. Another tells of trunk mains, feeder mains, and distribution mains. Still others refer to gathering pipelines, transportation pipelines, and branches. Documents often define those terms and how they will be used on specific projects.
An article in the Trenchless Technology magazine (Winter 2017) uses the word feedermain to describe a Canadian watermain link from Ottawa to Orleans. The term is written as one word here, whereas other documents use two. It seems to be used exclusively in water distribution, but the oil and gas industry often uses the word feeder as part of the distribution network.