Getting to Bowbridge’s Roots – Flea team
Getting to Bowbridge’s Roots – Flea team
by: Harry E.
The crew of Flea were asked to support contractors find & clear obstructions in the Bowbridge by-pass culvert – a longstanding headache which has reached the stage where no water was passing around the lock, risking some localized flooding.
We brought Flea up to deeper water at the work site before the Bowbridge/Wallbridge pound level was lowered 1 metre to access the outfall – an estimated 20,000 cu metres of water went West (causing some issues)!
As the level dropped, and after a quick look-see, the Jet Drain Services team attempted a full 2500psi jetting, which got them c2 metres into the culvert.
Another look-see showed the root of the problem – nothing for it but to go in and cut out the tangled mass with saw. By the end of day one, an exhausted Nick and Lindsay had cleared to the right-angle bend – but more was waiting around the corner.
Day two – another wait for the level to drop after overnight rains before Nick and Lindsay ventured back in. In the meantime, at the other end of the culvert, an angle grinder was needed to free bolts holding the grill to access the spill weir, plus a ladder procured from Wallbridge. By now Lindsay and Nick had got as far as possible up from the outfall end and were getting kitted and psyched up to go in at the spill weir end. Not only was this culvert narrower but c25 metres long – not for the faint-hearted and claustrophobic! It was even more important for us to keep the level above the lock from overtopping the spill weir and flooding their workspace.
Eventually, both chaps had met from each end and the main task was then to pull all the remaining debris back to the outfall. By this time it was chucking it down and while Peter and I refitted the grill (there’s scope for a more user-friendly design!) Rachel and Paul were hauling out the rest of the matted roots.
Conclusion
The outfall is not in bad condition up to the bend where root growth starts but apparently there is significant damage and distortion to the main culvert masonry and, of course, roots will regrow very quickly. Permanent solutions are currently being debated.
The last act was to send an ROV camera crawling up the culvert to record the condition of the full length of the masonry – to see the full unedited, X rated epic, just ask SVCC.
An impressive commitment from the JetDrain Services and satisfaction for the Flea team in providing much needed practical support to a successful outcome in less-than-ideal conditions at times.
