Although the job was technically not difficult, the pair of drillers had to work in a very confined space, below ground level and through a host of pipes and existing services. They had to ensure that the hole was drilled at a precise angle to hit an exact spot in a chamber on the other side of the wall. This was carried while water levels were rising and conditions were becoming increasingly muddy.

They set up two submersible pumps to keep the water level as low as possible and spent a full morning setting up the drilling rig. “It looked like conditions would prevent us from completing the job but the lads had a breather and just got back on with it,” said D-Drill branch manager Dave Platts. “It was really impressive to see their dedication to the task in hand and by late afternoon they got through.”

The drillers’ outer protective clothing had to be disposed of once the job was complete. “They were horrible conditions and you could see that from the lads’ clothing when they had finished the job and threw it the skip,” said Platts.

“We’ve had great feedback from North Midland Construction. They knew we were more than capable of carrying out the job but the fact that we worked and got it done when the elements were against us shows just how determined we are to go the extra mile for the client.”