54-Inch Main Line Hot Top

We recently completed a successful hot tap into an active 54-inch waterline, a major underground waterline and key source of water for the City of St. Louis. The original plan called for us to line stop the 54-inch line and bypass it with a new 48-inch line. However, testing by the City of St. Louis Water Division revealed that shutting down the 54-inch line could cause significant pressure issues across large areas of uptown and downtown St. Louis.

Working alongside Fred M. Luth & Son and their utility experts, we developed a new approach that allowed us to tap into the active line while maintaining continuous water flow. The solution required eight months of planning, design, and contract modifications, followed by six months of preparation and procurement. After all that work, the actual drilling and tapping operation took just four hours.

This was a high-risk operation that required careful planning and coordination between our office and field teams and our project partners. When the original plan came to a halt, our team found a way forward, kept other work moving, and redesigned the project to completion. The resulting change became the largest single change order in RKE's history.

The success of the operation was also recognized by USACE Kansas City District leadership. Following the hot tap, the USACE KC team shared: “We had a good response from our district leadership about the Hot Tap on Bell/Grand. Kudos to your team for ensuring that all ran smoothly.” This recognition reflects the planning, coordination, and execution that went into making this challenging operation a success.