What Does
Service Connection Mean?
A service connection is a pipe that connects the sanitary sewer system of residences, businesses, commercial units, and industries to the municipal wastewater network. Drains from toilets, baths, kitchens, laundries, and industrial units are connected via lateral connections that join to the municipal sewer system. The local governing municipal authority has regulations concerning the required guidelines to be followed while installing service connections.
Service connections are also installed for other utilities like water, and gas, all of which have their own set of guidelines laid down by the municipality in order to prevent contamination and accidents. Previously, service connections were installed by digging up the ground surface. Now with the use of trenchless installation methods like impact moling, these service connections can be easily installed without disturbing the ground surface.
Trenchlesspedia Explains Service Connection
A sewer service connection is a lateral sewer line that connects a building on a land parcel to the municipal sewage system. All service connections can be installed only after necessary permissions are gained from the governing authority. Unauthorized connections are not only illegal, they can also cause leakage of contaminated water due to the use of improper and unapproved fittings; it can also cause overloading of the sewer system. The same applies to install service connections for water and gas lines.
Installation of Service Connections
Service connections are usually of short distances as they are connected from backyards to the main road. One of the most popular and cost-effective trenchless methods to install service connections is impact moling. It has proven to be the cheapest and fastest method of installation for these service connections that usually pass under sidewalks, driveways, roads, and other short crossings. To dig up a stretch can lead to traffic jams and cause inconvenience in the neighborhood. Using trenchless methods eliminates this problem by allowing a small excavation at the entry and exit points.
Impact Mole Method
Impact moles consist of an enclosed steel tube with an air-powered piston that drives the nose forward by striking it. As the mole progresses, it displaces/compacts the soil laterally. This method can be easily used in congested areas but only for small diameter pipes. However; this method is most suitable in compressible soils as the method involves soil displacement.
A hydraulically driven piston or compressed air is used to push the mole forward. The product pipe is attached to the rear end of the mole via a swivel. As the mole advances, the pipe is directly laid behind the mole, installing it as it progresses. Both steerable and non-steerable moles are launched from insertion pits to allow in-line connections among pipe sections