At 8 pm ET on Wednesday, June 21, Amici Engineering Contractors, Centerline Directional Drilling Service, Inc. and Underground Solutions set a record for the longest continuous length of Fusible PVC® installed in the Underground Solutions’ history. More than 7,630 feet – a new record for Fusible PVC® pipe – of 24” DR18 were successfully installed via horizontal directional drilling (HDD) under the Caloosahatchee River in Cape Coral, Florida.
Below is a link to a local news story that ran during the first day of the pull-in installation that provides perspective on to the extent of the project:
When the install is finished, the pipeline will provide 6 to 12 million gallons of additional reclaimed water per day for Cape Coral. This additional flow should reduce the withdrawals from the freshwater canal system thereby helping to keep canal levels up during the dry season.
“This project is going to save millions of dollars for our utility customers versus purchasing drinking water to irrigate lawns because it’s a much cheaper option,” said Jeff Pearson, utilities director for the City of Cape Coral.
The pipeline connection will also remove more than 50 tons of excess nutrients from the Caloosahatchee River.
The pull-in lasted 35 hours and included three intermediate fusions under heavy rain conditions at times. While the weather didn’t always cooperate, the level of planning and preparation – combined with an excellent drill hole – created the opportunity for success.
An achievement of this magnitude would not have been possible without the professional planning, execution, and team work on the part of all team members. Underground Solutions thanks the following team members for their part in making this record happen: Robert Tatum, Doug Greenwell, Mike Garrett, Matt Cory, Tyler Rountree, Mike Benvenuti, and Tom Marti.
Underground Solutions also thanks the following partners on the job:
- City of Cape Coral
- Amici Engineering Contractors
- Centerline Directional Drilling Service, Inc.
- Stantec
- Bennett Trenchless Engineers
- Brierley Associates
- TT Technologies