Brainerd Public Utilities (BPU) recently underwent a complex project. The existing wastewater forcemains that ran under the Mississippi River were old and needed to be replaced. Installing a new line presented unique challenges and involved a process called directional drilling.
Directional drilling involves specialized techniques and equipment and is a popular method when open trenching is not an option. Installing utilities below rivers, roads, railroads, and buildings all pose challenges that can be alleviated by directional drilling. In BPU’s case, directional drilling minimized disruption to the surrounding environment, avoided disturbing the riverbed, and reduced the risk of contamination of the river.
The parallel wastewater forcemains running under the river were originally installed over 40 years ago. Acting proactively, BPU was looking to make repairs and replace shut-off valves to maintain the service of the wastewater forcemains. Failure of the forcemains could result in the contamination of the Mississippi River. Widseth inspected and assessed the system and presented the information to BPU. Considering the age of the infrastructure, the condition of the system, and the many unknowns about the condition of the line under the river, it was decided to replace the lines with updated piping and equipment, keeping the safety of the river at the forefront.
A team was assembled to tackle the project. Widseth assessed the depth and width of the river, various alignments, and the required capacity of the forcemain, along with providing the civil site design, the permitting needed, and overall project management for the project. CNA Engineers designed the forcemain profile for the directional drilling taking into consideration the types of soils and topography of the alignment. HR Green designed the piping and manholes for the necessary connections on each side of the river. They also designed the construction bypass needed for the construction of the new forcemain. Widseth consulted with numerous agencies for the necessary permitting including the Cities of Baxter and Brainerd, Crow Wing County, the Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and others. Widseth also collaborated with Brainerd’s Parks and Recreation Department and the Rotary Club, to address any concerns with the park area next to the project site.
Minger Construction and subcontractor ECI Contracting, performed the precise directional drilling for the 800 feet of line beneath the river.
Working together, BPU, Widseth, HR Green, Minger, and CNA created an efficient, cost-effective, and safe process to transport wastewater from the east side of the river to the west to reach the wastewater treatment facility. The new forcemain, operational since November 2023, effectively services the Brainerd community.
Contact Widseth if you have a challenging utility project on the horizon. We’ll help you come up with a creative solution.
