M Tucker and Sons received a call from a valued client who had been dealing with a large diameter brick drain causing flooding issues in a high-traffic area for the past 12 months. With a forecast of 10-15mm of rain, they urgently needed the drain cleared.
We arrived for nightshift to find 20m of the drain holding water and filled with rocks and debris. Night 1 involved reverse cleaning using our Cappellotto combination truck since the downstream access was in a live rail corridor.
Some of the rocks and broken v.c. pipes were too large for the vac to remove, so confined space entry was required to manually clear the debris with a bucket. After this, we surveyed the drain and found a massive root obstruction blocking 90% of the drain—no wonder it had been flooding.
Nightshift #2, time for a new game plan. After a quick strategy run-through, we headed out with the KRE and hydro unit to High Pressure nozzle the mass of roots. After hours of back-and-forth hydro cutting, we finally started seeing results. The cutting head broke through the wall of roots, revealing a clear drain downstream.
One final clean with the Warthog and a CCTV survey confirmed the drain was clear and running at near full capacity. This drain has now been proposed for a full reline to prevent future root blockages.
The result? No flooding after the heavy rain we received, and one proud operator knowing we solved the client's issue and delivered the high-quality work M. Tucker & Sons Pty Ltd is known for.
