Did you ever hear of Zebra Mussels and what do they have to do with Blocked Pipes?
The zebra mussel is a small freshwater mussel. The species originates from the lakes of southern Russia and Ukraine. However, it has been accidentally introduced to numerous other areas and has now become an invasive species in many countries worldwide. According to google, the zebra mussel probably arrived in Ireland in 1994 attached to the hulls of second-hand boats imported from Britain or the Netherlands. They inhabit slow rivers, canals, docks, lakes, reservoirs, and even water pipes and cooling systems.
Now that they are here they are causing all sorts of blockage issues.
We worked on a project in the Midlands, where our client are managing a reservoir that has been invaded by zebra mussels leading to 70% blockage of the network. This blockage could lead to negative impacts on public water flows.
So what was our role?
Our job involved cleaning out these large pipes using our off road tracking machine. This specialist equipment allows for extension of the jetting hoses to inaccessible locations. This 5ft off road tracking machine is an ideal piece of specialised equipment where pipe access is an issue. It is suitable for unsafe ground where our trucks cannot go. Additionally it provides a safe extension of the jetting hoses.
Thanks to CraneHire for help with this project. This is not our first project dealing with blockages caused by zebra mussels – who would have thought we have become the experts in this field!
This job can get very interesting.
