Pacific Sewer doesn’t just specialize in industry-leading sewer chemical root control treatment. Our Pacific Sewer Robotics program provides innovative, robotic high-pressure services to clear pipeline obstructions without digging or causing disruptions. 

Our robot uses water pressurized up to 40,000 PSI to break down just about any substance that blocks pipes and can access areas that can be otherwise inaccessible. 

There are many instances where digging to access a pipe is a major financial burden or simply not possible. Our CCTV-operated robot allows us to remotely service difficult-to-reach places with a fully articulated high-pressure nozzle or a water driven rotary cutting tool. 

This technology has allowed us to perform work in tunnels 200 feet below New York’s East River, service pipes under an active airfield runway, under active freeways, under train tracks, under new construction, on steep hillsides, under sewer treatment plant primary tanks, and in very deeply buried pipes. It’s one of the only of its kind operating in the country, and it can solve just about any problem.

Here are just five of the common substances Pacific Sewer Robotics can help clear: 

1. Concrete

Concrete blockages are one of the toughest challenges in pipeline rehabilitation, and they’re also very common.

Whether caused by accidental spills or the buildup of cement-like deposits, concrete can severely restrict or even completely block water flow. But traditional methods of concrete removal — like mechanical milling or cutting — are inefficient and very likely to damage the pipe. 

Our robotic system uses ultra-high-pressure water to break down hardened concrete without damaging the surrounding pipe or structure. This method is highly precise and ensures that only the blockage is removed, preserving its integrity while removing the buildup.

2. Roots

Often, our chemical root control is the best way to deal with root buildup in a pipe. But in some cases, these notorious sources of pipeline blockages may be better removed by our robotics division. 

Other methods to mechanically remove roots can struggle to remove the entire root, leaving some roots behind to regrow quickly, or to cut through some of the largest root masses.

Using our robotic high-pressure system we can break down the roots entirely, even the extremely large or troublingly tough roots.

3. Calcium and Mineral Buildup

In some areas groundwater can leak into the pipes at the joints allowing calcite minerals to build up inside of pipes over time, forming thick layers of deposits that obstruct water flow and can even fully close up the inside of a pipe in extreme cases. These deposits are particularly common and problematic in some older pipes. 

These substances can be even harder to remove than concrete, leading to an even greater risk of damage to the pipes through mechanical cutting methods.

Our robotic system uses water pressure to precisely break these deposits down in a way that doesn’t compromise the structural integrity of the pipe and serves as a long-term solution rather than a quick fix.

4. Grout

Because of its use in a variety of projects, grout is one of the more common substances we see blocking pipes. 

We often get called to remove grout/slurry from pipes that have been damaged or pierced during a construction project, most commonly during a drilling operation. These projects can be resolved completely. Using our robotic system and the quick change tool head we can break down the grout/slurry for removal, mechanically cut through any cross bores, and restore flow to the pipe. 

Our high-pressure system can find and eliminate those obstructions, rarely requiring anyone to open up the pipes, restoring normal flow without the risk of damage.

5. Tuberculation

Tuberculation is the byproduct of an iron-oxidizing bacteria that metabolizes ferrous iron, creating a buildup with a strong bond to the pipe. 

This problem is common in older, metal pipes, but can occur in any pipeline that is exposed to corrosive elements. It can be difficult to remove with traditional methods, requiring extensive scraping and cutting. 

But our robotic, high-pressure system can eliminate the tuberculation and corrosion without causing any damage, clearing decades of buildup, debris, scale and rust and allowing the option of re-lining or other methods that can keep it operational for years to come.

6. Struvite

Struvite is a particularly hard-to-remove and control byproduct of the wastewater treatment industry. Struvite in wastewater is primarily composed of magnesium, ammonium, and phosphate. These three components combine under specific conditions, typically in wastewater treatment systems, to form a crystalline mineral that binds to pipe walls, valves, fittings, etc. This buildup reduces pipe capacity and increases required pump pressure adding stress to the entire system. 

Our robotic system can clear the buildup from the walls of pipes in hard-to-reach locations, such as, the main underground feed pipe to the clarifier tank, to help restore full pipe capacity and perform condition assessments of the pipes during service periods.