Geotextiles in Dewatering

Non-woven geotextiles attached to the proper support structure or framework are used routinely today on below ground building walls to channel ground water and rainwater runoff away from the walls to collect piping, thus eliminating seepage into the building basements. The same principle is being applied to temporary and permanent construction dewatering systems. This relatively new approach produces fast, clean results eliminating turbidity in the discharge water and, with the proper installation, eliminates the need for using a filter sand or gravel around wells or wellpoints. This innovation gives the contractor the ability to adjust to changing ground water conditions with less guesswork, faster installation, lower labor costs, less down time and happier environmental managers.

Tom entered the business of groundwater control and industrial effluent handling after finishing military service in 1975. A graduate of the University of Florida he has designed and manufactured dewatering equipment. His ground water control expertise includes horizontal wells installed by horizontal directional drilling, slurry cutoff walls, eductor systems, qeotextile wick drain systems, vacuumized deep wells, vacuum wellpoint systems, dewatering system winterizing methods and conventional deep wells, multi-stage effluent bypass systems for the petro-chemical, and construction industries.