Our work in Fort Benton was in well that is situated right next to the Missouri River. The well is 40 feet deep and 14 feet in diameter... it had about 15 feet of water it in while we were doing our work. At the base of the well, 12" lateral pipes span between 54 and 120 feet out beneath the river bed. Those laterals were drilled when the water plant was built in 1987 and their amount of flow has decreased over the years.
Our job was to work in concert with a jet truck crew to run a high pressure hose down each lateral at 2000-2500 psi with a reverse-facing jet nozzle that pushed out all the gravel and sand that has built up in the laterals over the years. Once the hose reached the end, a diver would work in concert with the jet truck guys to pull the hose back (still under 1000-1500 psi) to push all of the gravel and sand back into the well.
We completed the jetting work on the fourth day (it would have been three days, but the jet nozzle got stuck on the afternoon of Day 3 and it took me three and a half hours to free it). With the jetting completed, we ran a camera down each lateral to ensure they were clean, then cleaned all the debris out of the well.
Today, my team lead performed a video inspection of the cleaned well, conducted a flow test for a representative from the well company, and collected water samples for the utility.
We left Fort Benton around 1:30 this afternoon and drove to Missoula, where we'll be for the next day or two.
Tim, the rep at Fort Benton's water district, allowed me to shoot some pictures of his water plant. It was the first water plant in the USA to utlitize UV technology to purify water. His is actually a two-part system, he uses chlorine and UV, but it's still pretty cool. The well's water is pumped to tanks in Fort Benton, which then feed the city. I think we'll probably be cleaning out those tanks later this year.
Fort Benton Water Plant
(click to see more pictures)
(click to see more pictures)
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