Case Study: Madison Metropolitan School District achieves 99% floatable-debris removal and rapid Deep Tunnel clean-out with Veolia North America

Madison Metropolitan School District - Customer Case Study

Madison Metropolitan School District engaged Veolia North America to tackle a massive Deep Tunnel clean-out challenge: a 19.4-mile, 300-foot-deep tunnel that had accumulated 18 years’ worth of floatable trash (bottles, bags, wood, etc.), which was clogging suction grates and restricting wastewater removal and treatment. Veolia North America deployed its industrial cleaning, confined-space and water-treatment experts to plan the operation and ensure safe access and extraction.

Veolia North America implemented a custom solution using crane-lowered crews and a Veolia-designed 16-foot pontoon boat fitted with a 10-foot conveyor to push and collect debris, transferring it into waste containers hoisted to the surface. The operation removed about 90 cubic yards of floatables, recovered 99% of the debris, and finished in just 10 days versus the estimated 40, restoring tunnel efficiency and protecting downstream waters.

Madison Metropolitan School District