HammerHead introduces new lead pipe replacement kits

(UC) — HammerHead Trenchless has released its new HydraSlitter kits, which were designed to help industry professionals meet the 10-year U.S. goal of replacing all lead pipe service laterals, the company said on Wednesday.

The HydraSlitter system is an economical and effective trenchless alternative to opencut replacement of lead potable water pipe 0.5 to 1.0 inches in diameter. HammerHead launched the system during this year’s American Waterworks Association ACE22 in San Antonio, Texas.

The newest addition to the HammerHead Same Path technology line, the HydraSlitter system provides a minimally invasive, low-cost, effective alternative to opencut replacement of lead potable water pipe 0.5 to 1.0 inches in diameter. 

The kits include the appropriate slitter, blades, expanders, cable, duct-rodder, and cable grip for the excavator, as well as a tooling assembly selection chart and instructions.
 
Nation-wide lead water line crisis

The U.S. EPA enacted a water treatment technique regulation for lead in 1991 based on the use of orthophosphates to mitigate problems associated with lead contamination occurring from corrosive water.
 
Orthophosphates can create a protective mineral coating that keeps toxic lead stuck to pipes. “However,” Josh Hood, sr. manager, product management and support at HammerHead Trenchless, said. “The protective coating they provide is not a permanent solution.” Many local and state requirements call for its removal, and nearly every state has funding available to do so.
 
An estimated 6 to 10 million linear feet of lead pipe at or nearing the end of its useful life is still in service. Much of it exists as lateral service delivering potable water to private, residential customers. The U.S. goal is to replace all of it within the next 10 years, and $15 billion has been set aside from the infrastructure bill to address the lead crisis.
 
The HydraSlitter kits were specifically designed to give pipe replacement professionals a safe, quick and reliable means of taking lead pipe laterals out of service. 
 
Minimal equipment outlay, ease of use

Hood said the HydraSlitter system is simple, it is easy to learn and easy to use. Plus, “investment cost is super low, since you’re only buying tooling, not a machine.”
 
In most cases, the machine used to pull the tooling can be the same mini excavator that was used to dig the pit depending on ground conditions and length of run. Hood said, “Runs will generally be 40 to 50 feet, but 120 feet is the maximum length right now.” 

Benefits of trenchless replacement vs open cut

Open cut techniques not only damage tree root systems but routinely require extensive excavation to remove the full length of pipe and then restoration of sidewalks, drives, retaining walls or other surface structures after the replacement pipe installation.
 
A trenchless pipe-slitting operation using HydraSlitter tooling provides a significantly less invasive process of lead pipe replacement. Drawn by a cable attached to a mini excavator with the cable grip provided in the kit, HydraSlitter tooling slits the lead pipe while simultaneously installing new product pipe into place as it progresses.

Reduced project time and cost

Since the replacement pipe follows in the same path as the existing pipe, a trenchless replacement process greatly reduces disruption to daily routines, traffic, or commerce. It reduces project time and cost by minimizing excavation, demolition, and restoration requirements. It has no impact on tree root systems and significantly mitigates the risk of interfering with other utilities in shared easements.

HydraSlitter system availability

Contractors can now select from two full-system HydraSlitter kits online. The kit arrives within just a few days containing exactly what the contractor needs for a job. Contents include the appropriate blades, expanders, cable, duct-rodder, and cable grip for the excavator, as well as a tooling assembly selection chart and instructions.

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