2013-14 Photos - Water and sewer...

Although Rodwell #3 (RW3) was finally put on line successfully around New Years Day 2013 (the building for it had been constructed in 2006-07)...phase 2 of the operation--switching the sewer from RW1 to RW2 did not happen that season. Consequently, the sewer did what has happened before--it filled up. After rising into the firn, it eventually started to flood into the ice tunnels. This wasn't as dramatic as the first time this had happened--in 1979-80, before we had as much information as we do now about sewer outfalls (the original dome sewer outfall was not nearly deep enough to accommodate all of the waste water we dumped down it thanks to our efficient snow melter and the folks who kept it full). During our 1977 winter we noticed that there were cracks in the floor of the dome and that the utilidor sewer outfall seemed to be settling a bit. Little did we know that 2 years later it would start to fill up with, er, stuff, the first of several lift stations and new outfalls would be constructed, and GFA's would be tasked with chipping the stuff out.

Back to the present...perhaps the most obvious issue this time was that the balloon inflation facility (BIF) and cryo are not all that far from the sewer outfall, and the BIF has settled noticeably in that direction. So much so that there was talk of demoing the BIF this season...but without a replacement facility, that has been put off for at least another year. But a drilling project was developed--since Wisconsin's ARA project wasn't funded for this season, the PSL drillers and their equipment were available. They were sent to Pole to complete construction of the new sewer outfall.

the complete ARA drill train
The PSL/ARA drilling equipment, lined up to attack the rodwell (DG).
the PSL/ARA drill in action

The drilling equipment in action (DG). Okay...here's more information about the firn drill.
the UW drilling team
Here's the PSL drilling team in front of the "carrot"--the heated firn drill (DP).
the firn drill penetrating into the tunnel
And here's the drill penetrating into the tunnel...this looks like the tunnel to the emergency outfall, perhaps that is what is being worked on here (DP).
looking down the tunnel toward Rodwell 2
Looking down Tunnel A toward Rodwell #1...the sewer that overflowed during the 2013 winter...hence the yellow snow and red barricade tape (CC).
putting heat trace on the temporary outfall
Electrician Douglas Leiting putting heat trace on the new temporary outfall, located at the entrance to Tunnel A (CC).
Where's Tunnel A, you might be wondering?

the ice tunnels--note how the walls are slowly closing in
Inside the tunnels...not how the walls are slowly closing in because of the weight of the snow (CC).
 the ice tunnels


Another view inside the tunnels, where all of the action was (KH).
new emergency outfall


Here's Andy Martinez in front of the new emergency outfall (KH).
another drill hole
Another drill hole next to a frozen fish (KH).

Credits...Dave Glowacki (DG), Dave Pernic (DP), Charles Cable (CC), and Kyle Hoppe (KH).

Oh, there was other work going on in the ice tunnels...


construction photo index | aerial photo index