Scottish Water has turned to extremely high-pressure robotics in an obvious UK-first to take away a long time of business deposits blocking a strategic sewer in South Lanarkshire.
Practically a kilometre of Rutherglen’s Eastfield trunk sewer had turn into clogged with concrete-like calcite and suspected hazardous supplies working beneath former industrial land.
All efforts to soundly take away them utilizing typical strategies corresponding to jetting, and diamond-tipped milling heads had proved unsuccessful.
However then Scottish Water Challenge Supervisor Marc McKinnie began talking to individuals within the publicly owned utility’s provide chain, together with supply associate George Leslie Ltd.
He stated: “As a challenge staff we quickly understood that typical strategies wouldn’t work right here and that we would have liked to be creative.
“We began to ask round and one in every of our suppliers informed us a couple of new robotic cutter in the marketplace in Germany able to working at 40,000 pounds-per-square-inch with excellent precision.
“That is the primary of its variety for use within the UK and one in every of solely three worldwide, and it has made all of the distinction.
“In simply three months we have now been capable of clear the complete kilometre of sewer – one thing we had been struggling to realize for a number of yr utilizing typical strategies.”
The robotic works by directing slender, extremely high-pressure jets of water onto the laborious deposits, successfully ‘slicing’ them into smaller items.
The approach is protected for the surroundings and ensures doubtlessly hazardous supplies from historic industrial websites could be flushed out and safely disposed of.
Robert Emans, Operations Supervisor at Enviro-Clear (Scotland) Ltd stated: “We’re excited to have been capable of assist Scottish Water to find an progressive strategy to the issue and efficiently demonstrating the potential of the Extremely Excessive-Strain Robotic Cutter.
“It truly is a recreation changer for us, permitting higher versatility in tackling cussed blockages in sewers from 10cm to a metre huge, coupled with fixed CCTV monitoring permitting our staff to make sure precision slicing.
“It additionally considerably reduces time on-site, cuts prices and lowers our carbon footprint offering a greener resolution.
“Enviro-Clear continues to spend money on innovative know-how, to supply the most secure options attainable, conserving us on the forefront of the waste water trade.”
Marc McKinnie added: ““It was starting to appear to be the one choice can be to dig up and exchange the sewer – which might have been disruptive and very costly – so it was thrilling to be part of pioneering new applied sciences to handle difficult tasks.
“Due to the inspiration and enthusiasm of our supply companions, we have now achieved an incredible consequence. This reveals how working collectively we will ship nice worth for our prospects and advantages to the surroundings, serving to Scottish Water obtain its intention of delivering internet zero emissions by 2040 and past.”
A video of the cutter in motion could be considered here.
