Flood Mitigation with Puck Equipment
Central New Yorkers started their April wet, as heavy rain on March 31st led to flash floods in the state. Numerous roads were closed due to the flooding, with infrastructure across the state at risk. One such road was at risk of washing away until reinforcements were called in.
Around 12:30 am April 1st, Walton Manure Management received a call from their local highway officials. An overwhelmed culvert pipe approximately 30 feet below the road was being hit with more than two million gallons of water. This was too much for the pipe, and water began to flood the road above. Not only was the road itself at risk of damage, there was also a nearby water line and sewer line that would be destroyed if the pipe wasn’t removed and the water relocated.
How they saved the road
Walton showed up on scene with a Force Feed trailer and 600 feet of BullDog hose. Setup was quick and easy, with electric over hydraulic controls for the outriggers and boom of the Force Feed lead pump. The 45’ boom had no trouble reaching down into the ditch, even as water levels receded. While that was put in place, a TTR 20 hose cart with a hydraulic reel laid an 8” diameter hose along the road to transfer the water to a nearby creek. The turn table reel has a slewing bearing design that allows operators to drive alongside a ditch while the hose is deployed off the side and into the ditch. Quick connections between the hose and Force Feed, as well as years of slurry transfer experience from the Walton Manure Management crew, had the flood mitigation operation up and running quickly.
The crew began moving 3,800 gallons of flood water per minute through 600 feet of hose to the creek. Within 10 hours, the custom applicators had moved 2.1 million gallons of floodwater off the roads. This reduced pressure on the culvert and the road, saving the road and nearby water and sewer lines. As it all drained into the creek, the Walton crew could see what blocked the culvert pipe. They were able to dislodge the clogged items and open up the culvert again for water to safely move through.
Walton Manure Management may be more familiar with thick slurry moving through their equipment, but if you can move manure, you can move water even faster. Their pumping experience and quick setup times prevented infrastructure failure in their community. For more details on how dragline manure application equipment can be multipurpose for emergencies, call 712.655.9200.
