Drainage

Drainage of water occurs and multiple different scales across many different industries. It can involve redirecting water away from a residential home, or towards a particular job site for usage. Horizontal directional drilling is particularly useful in drainage applications, as lines can be installed at various lengths and sizes while avoiding existing infrastructure.

The purpose of a drainage line is to introduce or remove water from a particular area. A common application of drainage is also to simply redirect water around a zone of interest, such as a work area or piece of infrastructure. Horizontal directional drilling is a particularly useful tool for the installation of a drainage line because of the versatility of the rig setup location and the precise tracking of the drill bit during the drilling operation.

If you’re installing a drainage line, the preferred method is likely to trench the line into place. In many situations, trenching may be the best solution for the installation. However, what happens when the proposed drainage line goes beneath a building, intersection, or an environmentally sensitive area, such as wetlands? Small obstacles can create big problems when trenching in a drainage line. An alternative solution to trenching is using horizontal directional drilling (HDD) technology.

A horizontal drill rig can be set up in a safe, out-of-the-way location, while still being able to install the drainage line precisely where it needs to be. This eliminates the impact on environmentally sensitive areas and prevents costly restoration associated with trenching techniques.

Directional Technologies recently completed a residential drain installation near the shore in the Northeast United States. A home was under construction in a cul-de-sac, where the water table was particularly high beneath the property. In order to complete the foundation of the home and prevent long-term water table issues, a drainage line needed to be installed to redirect water to the shoreline. Rather than trenching nearly 700’ through adjacent properties, Directional Technologies horizontally drilled and installed a 4” HDPE conduit for drainage. The use of HDD technology allowed for work to continue uninhibited while keeping restoration costs low and neighbors happy.

Horizontal directional drilling techniques are the preferred method for water drainage installations. Rather than tearing up the surface with trenching and paying for restoration costs, HDD can simplify the process and redirect the water to where the proper location.