A switch from new construction to diverse pipeline services and CIPP lining proves to be a profitable recipe for a long-established Minnesota firm

By Marian Bond

Troy Ouverson started working in his father’s business at age 12, in 1992.  Three years ago, he became the owner of the company, Ouverson Excavating, which for almost 40 years specialized in installing residential sewer and water lines in and around Buffalo, Minn.

As owner, Ouversib saw that the many lines the company had installed were in need of repair and, in some cases, replacement. So he changed the name to Ouverson Sewer and Drain Services, aiming to take decisive action to be at the forefront in the industry.

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1,200 Lateral Rehabbed in Miami-Dade Using Trenchless Technology

By Sharon M. Bueno

Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (MDWSD) recently completed one of the largest lateral lining projects in the country, rehabbing approximately 1, 200 laterals in residential and commercial area at a price tag of just under $5 million.

The 15-month lateral project was part of a pilot program that MDWSD undertook to research and evaluate a variety of lining techniques in addressing the condition of its laterals and stopping infiltration-and-inflow (I/I).  In the past, I/I was handled through traditional dig-and-replace methods.

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Saunda Kitchen’s Success in a plumbing and drain-cleaning franchise attracts her father to a similar career after his retirement from police work

By Dee Goerge

Keeping up with technology, following a tried-and-true business model, emphasis on staff and balance, and plain hard work enabled Paul and Saunda Kitchen to grow a successful Mr. Rooter business in Sonoma County, California, in less than 10 years.

“We’ve done trenchless repair since the beginning,” Saunda Kitchen says.  “For us, it’s important to keep up on technology, because it gives us more options to provide our customers with the appropriate solution for the dilemma they are in.”

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An emergency cured-in-place pipe repair enables a veneer mill in Oregon to pass its Department of Environmental Quality inspection

By Scottie Dayton

An old 6-inch vitrified clay pipe running along the face of a 100-foot cliff in St. Helens, Ore., had cracked. Sewage streaming through it quickly created a 5-inch hole, sending the flow down the cliff to collect in an unpaved area of the Boise/Cascade Veneer Mill parking lot.

The Department of Environmental Quality was scheduled to inspect the mill in four days. An uncontrolled raw sewage spill would cost untold dollars in fines and close the mill until the area was decontaminated. The situation required an immediate response.

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When Ouverson Sewer and Water Inc. received a call from the City Offices of Tracy, Minnesota the first question they asked us was, “Can your trenchless lining system maneuver around multiple, tight 90 degree bends?”

Another concern that the city had was that another lining company had tried to install a liner, but failed.

Ouverson soon found out that there were five tight 90 degree angles, in 40 feet of 6 inch drain pipe underneath the newly constructed city pool.  The pipes has been severely damaged by grounf movement, and the freezing and thawing from the winter season.

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