Nozzle Removes Roots Without A Chain Flail

Problem: While doing routine line cleaning in Ville St. Laurent, Quebec, a contractor encountered a 10-inch clay pipe that was heavily root bound for most of the 410-foot length. As the municipality does not allow chain flails in its system, the contractor needed to find a solution that would effectively remove all the roots quickly without damaging the pipe.

Solution: The large Axis controlled-rotation nozzle from KEG Technologies was used to match the contractor’s 75 gpm, 3,000 psi flush truck and inserted in the line. The nozzle was brought to pressure and sent down the line at a steady rate. Once it had reached the upstream manhole, a camera was inserted and followed the nozzle on the return trip.

Result: The nozzle was effective in removing the roots, and with the camera following, it was determined the pipe was 95 percent clear of roots after the first pass, with no damage visible on the pipe or services. Both the municipality and the contractor were pleased with the results and have adopted the nozzle as their tool of choice for this type of work. 866/595-0515; www.kegtechnologies.net.