Lead Service Line Replacement: Veit Gets it Done with Pit-Launched HDD

The push to replace lead pipes continues throughout North America. Cities and municipalities throughout Canada and the United States have initiated programs to update water systems to eliminate the use of lead pipes completely. Trenchless technology has been playing a significant role on these programs, as have skilled utility contractors.

One such program just south of the Canadian border in the City of Duluth, MN, is targeting the replacement of lead water services for eligible residents. A large portion of the replacement is being completed by one of the region’s top utility and specialty contractors, Veit & Company, Inc. (Veit), Rogers, MN.

Veit’s portion of the project consists of replacing residential lead services with 1-inch HDPE services through pit launched directional drilling. The project is complex and requires significant planning and coordination. Veit Utility Superintendent Eric Raspotnik said, “This portion of the project includes approximately 534 individual locations, totally over 22,000 feet of 1-inch HDPE. And another 4,000 feet of 2-inch HDPE for main extensions. All of that needs to be completed within a specific time frame, so coordination is key.”

Project Manager Jon Brostowitz said, “I would say that it isn’t day-to-day coordination, it’s almost hour-by-hour coordination with Eric and myself and his field staff, and the operators. If that drill is not working, we’re not moving forward because of instructions or utilities in the way.”

With Duluth’s old neighborhoods, narrow streets and tight setbacks, standard directional drilling was off the table. Instead, Veit opted for a more compact approach, pit-launched directional drilling. Mark Dorn, Trenchless Specialist with trenchless equipment manufacturer TT Technologies, Aurora, Ill. explained how pit launched directional drilling can be the method of choice in a situation like this.  He said, “The pit-launched drill is very compact and portable. And because the unit is pit launched, it doesn’t require the setback that a standard directional drill requires. That really makes it ideal for a project like this in these old neighborhoods.” For the City of Duluth project, Veit Construction chose the Grundopit Pit-Launched Directional Drill from TT Technologies.

Contractor Background

Veit is one of the country’s leading specialty contractors, with over 97 years of experience. The company prides itself on a relentless pursuit to push the construction industry forward and deliver for its customers. In 1928, Frank Veit founded the company on a boot-string budget with a single Chevy truck and a dump box. Now in its third generation as a family-owned business, Veit is among the most respected specialty contracting and waste management companies in the nation.

With more than 900 team members, Veit continues developing long-term relationships with clients, vendors, employees, and communities. Veit’s corporate office is based in Rogers, MN. The company has six additional regional offices across the Upper Midwest in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Iowa, including the city of Duluth.

Safety is another focal point for the company. According to Brostowitz, Safety isn’t just for the morning meeting — it’s an all-day, every-day commitment. He said, “In addition to the creation of regional safety committees and the launch of a new safety recognition program, the company has implemented several actions over the past year to directly impact employees’ safety and health and enhance the safety culture at all levels.”

“This includes a new glove policy requiring ANSI cut-level 4 gloves on all sites for employees and visitors, a stretch and flex program, a new hire hazard identification training checklist and mentorship program, forward-facing cameras in all CDL/heavy trucks, training on emergency action plans, adding an equipment inspection QR code into equipment for operators, and continuing education on the A Workplace Accident Injury Reduction (AWAIR) program.”

In addition to a strong focus on safety, communication and coordination are also strong points for Veit.

On The Job

Veit crews are the epitome of choreographed efficiency moving neighborhood to neighborhood. Crew size is typically eleven for the drilling project, with one team drilling, one team backfilling and restoring and another excavating and shoring for the next installation.

Maintaining that pace can be difficult.  Brostowitz said, “I would say the number of utilities that we dig around every day makes this project challenging, and just how fast we’re moving, doing roughly 20 sites a week. You basically have to be two weeks ahead of the guys in the field at all times and have backup plans in case of a homeowner not answering the door.”

Typical installation length depends on the side of the street crews are working on, but on average it’s 60 feet. Services travel under landscaping, driveways, sidewalks and a host of other typical residential obstacles that crews try to avoid by directional drilling. The typical drilling pit is 8 feet deep and shored using a 6- by 6-foot shoring box that is the ideal size for the pit launched drill rig. Ground water levels in the area require crews to dewater the drill pits.

Limiting restoration is the name of the game for the project in Duluth, and one of the main reasons trenchless technology is taking center stage, specifically the pit-launched drill. Raspotnik explained, “The city is very particular about restoration and so are we. Of course, it costs money and you’re dealing with residents. So, pit-launched is a less restoration option compared to the surface drill, where we would need to set back in someone else’s yard that we’re not even working in.”

There is no need for a bypass as existing service is running until it is switched over to the new service. The old lead service is left in the ground.

Raspotnik said, “Usually the first thing we do is dig down and shut off the existing service so we can cut the lead pipe and get it out of our way. It’s just one less thing to deal with. We don’t want to be digging around the live water line. But realistically, there is only a small amount of time that the residents are without service.”

Crews are ready to begin drilling once the service is disconnected.

Pit-Launched Directional Drilling

Because of the number of existing utilities and the precise nature of the project, Veit needed the capability of an HDD rig to navigate around adjacent utilities and into residential basements to pull back the new service.

According to Dorn, the power and capability of the unit surprises people especially considering its size.  He said, “The Grundopit comes in at 54 inches long, 43 inches wide and 57 inches tall. But the power is impressive at 13,489 lbf of thrust, and pulling force and 553 ft. lbs. of torque. Combine that with total steering capabilities of larger drill rigs, the drill really fills a niche for tough service installations.”

The service line installations for the Duluth project are targeted and exact, leaving little disruption outside and inside of the residence. Brostowitz said, “We’ll bring the roll of HDPE pipe down into the basement. The plumber cuts a small hole in the basement floor and shovels down a foot or two. And then we drill right to that hole. Then we’ll hook the new pipe to the drill head and pull it back.

“The plumber makes the final connections inside. We’re completing an average five installations per day. We could do more, but we make sure to backfill and have everything nice, neat and safe each night.”

Dorn said, “With the number of adjacent utilities, the crews are accomplishing some fairly complex drill runs and coming out right on target. The size of the hole they’re hitting in the basement is very small. It’s impressive work.”

Positive Public Relations
Veit crews work continually to maintain positive communication with the general public and residents during the project in Duluth. Letters are sent to homeowners two weeks in advance of service line replacement. On Monday a week prior, homeowners are called and scheduled for the following week. If homeowners don’t answer, crews will door knock and leave flyers. This is done in addition to the city’s efforts which start a year before any work begins.

According to Raspotnik, they have received a lot of positive feedback from residents. He said, “Yeah, we got some pretty good input, I’d say. Crews have gotten coffee and donuts this year from residents. We’ve had folks write in to say thank you — they tell us we’re polite, hardworking, and easy to work with.”

Brostowitz said “And obviously, you have the homeowners that are the opposite too. We’ll get a disgruntled resident, and we explain the process. Once we do that, it’s almost a 180, and then they’re pretty accepting. If you just take the time to explain it, it’s good.”