With the influx of emergency calls now coming back down to regular levels we wanted to shed some light on the situation that has occurred over the past couple of weeks.
As mentioned in our earlier blog posts we have witnessed unprecedented levels of frozen water services throughout multiple municipalities across Ontario due to the extreme cold periods we have experienced this winter. Areas such as London and Hamilton experienced an estimated 400 and 900 frozen water services, respectively. The average for these types of calls is 40-50 per season. Super Sucker Hydro Vac Service was contacted to work along other contractors to resolve the situation as soon as possible.
To assist with our emergency response efforts, clients who had previously booked trucks allowed us to reroute the equipment and crews. We are thankful to them for being understanding about the situation and allowing us to do so.
Once we are called to an emergency our crews work alongside city crews and officials in order to make sure the frozen water service is thawed as soon as possible. This involves Super Sucker completing the following:
- First turning off the proposed water service.
- Hydro vac excavation to expose the water line.
- Inserting a smaller water line inside the frozen pipe.
- Injecting pressurized hot water into the frozen pipe thawing any ice that may be contained inside. (our Hydro Vac trucks/equipment is uniquely suited as there are equipped with onboard water heating systems coupled to the pressure pumps)
In order to ensure the safety of our crews while they are inside such large excavated pits shoring is used to hold up the outer walls of the pit. Once the repair has been completed to the frozen water service, Super Sucker Hydro Vac Service personnel, working with the City, properly secures the excavation. A crew member monitors them until backfill arrives to fill in the pit, restoring it back to its original orientation. The service is then turned back on and ready to be used by members of our community once again.
We would like to take this time to thank all the city workers and our crews for working hard at restoring these services as quickly as possible for our neighbors.
For us, normal service levels have resumed again, so please contact us to book a truck for your project. We are also excited about this spring and upcoming opportunities that it will bring such as the Dig Safe Month this coming April. Keep an eye out on our blog and social media channels for more of these exciting events as they occur.