HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL PR 2010-12-17 trenchless water main installation
Town of Leesburg
News Release
For Immediate Release
Leesburg Utilities Department Expands Use of Trenchless
Technology to Install New Water Main
Leesburg, VA (December 17, 2010) – The Leesburg Utilities Department’s Utility Maintenance
Division recently completed a water main installation using trenchless technology. The Town
has used this cutting‐edge technology extensively in sewer and water line repairs and
rehabilitation as well as in the replacement of water service lines, but this recent project is the
first time Leesburg has used trenchless technology to install a new water main.
“Trenchless technology greatly reduces
the impact of utility line installation and
repair work on the surrounding areas.
Excavation is kept to a minimum, usually
just at the ends of the lines where
connections need to be made,” explained
John Creamer, the Town’s Utilities
Maintenance Division Manager. “This
technology also eliminates the need for
extensive surface restoration required
when the traditional open cut installation
method is used.”
The new water main is a 175‐foot extension connecting a formerly dead‐end line in the
Westgreen subdivision to a water main on Ayr Street. The new water main installation is part
of an ongoing program of system improvements that increase fire flow and improve water
quality as well as provide system redundancies to minimize the impact to customers in the
event of a water main break.
“The Westgreen water main was a necessary improvement project, and we saved thousands of
dollars by using Town staff to perform the connections. Staff also monitored and inspected the
drilling and trenchless pipe installation,” stated Aref Etemadi, Deputy Director of Utilities.
“We are seeing the development of more and more trenchless technology methods being used
in the utilities industry. Although trenchless technology cannot be used for every project, the
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TOL PR 2010‐12‐17 trenchless water main installation
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application of methods that avoid digging holes results in significant cost and time savings, as
well as lessens the impact on residents during installation,” he continued.
The Westgreen water main was installed using a trenchless technology method known as
“horizontal directional drilling”. This method uses a drilling system that can be steered
remotely. For this particular water main installation, the vertical and horizontal alignment
changes that occurred over the length of the project necessitated the use of horizontal
directional drilling. The connections at each end of the line were made using the standard open
cut method and added approximately twenty‐five feet to the total project. The trenchless
installation work was done by J.C. Roman, a local contractor that specializes in directional
drilling. The connection work was completed in‐house by the Utility Maintenance Division.
Contact:
John Creamer
Utilities Maintenance Manager
jcreamer@leesburgva.gov
703‐737‐7076
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