The materials used to extract the device cost around $15,000. Labor costs have not yet been finalized, according to DPW Director Rob Perry. He predicted that the cost for a 10-person four-day crew, two excavators, and the purchase of at least two 100-ton fills to fill in the excavated soil would be an additional $25,000.

“It’s going to be quite expensive,” he said.

The removal of the poly-pig was originally planned for the spring, but as extremely cold temperatures amplified the city’s water demand, the DPW decided to remove it as soon as possible instead of waiting for warmer weather.

The clog made it difficult for the pipes to produce the extra volume needed for the winter months, since many Hudson residents run their faucets all winter, according to Perry.

It is unprecedented for a poly-pig to get stuck. The device is made from a synthetic polymer and is pushed through industrial pipes with water pressure at a speed of around 2 mph. Its steel bristles scrape the inside of city copper pipes to remove rust and corrosion, and to ensure pipe diameters remain as large as possible for maximum water flow.

Each year, the city performs an annual cleaning of the pipes that transfer water from the Churchtown Reservoir to Hudson.

When the poly-pig failed to surface in June, the DPW crew was caught off guard. They tried to redirect the flow of water to dislodge it. When that didn’t work, Perry contacted the city of Greenport and a private contractor to use their cameras to inspect the water main in an attempt to locate the rogue poly-pig. That didn’t work either.

The DPW used a tracking device and eventually located the poly-pig. It was lodged in a T-pipe at the Claverack Pumping Station. The team of excavators and contractors, led by Perry, planned to remove the obstruction by replacing the pipe, which resembles the letter “T”. However, due to global supply chain issues at the time, the necessary parts took until August and December 2021 to arrive.

The DPW began a three-day excavation on Monday. The water main was taken out of service so workers could remove the T-pipe. Once the poly-scraper and damaged pipe components were removed, replacements were installed.

Normal water supply operations resumed on Thursday.

The project has now been deemed complete by the DPW, although site restoration and final cleanup are still ongoing.

Poly-pig removal is the latest issue for the city’s old waterlines.

Hudson’s waterlines are 125 years old. According to a study conducted by the American Water Works Association, the nation’s oldest cast iron pipes have an average useful life of about 120 years. Hudson’s pipes have now exceeded the recommended life by at least five years.

The city has lead pipes, not overseen by the DPW, but rather what are considered laterals that carry sewage from private dwellings to the main public sanitary sewer.

When 5th Ward alderman Vicky Daskaloudi, who expressed a need for better pipes in Hudson, moved into her home, she hired a private company to replace her lead lateral pipes.

“Something has to be done,” Daskaloudi said.