Why are we so confident we can quickly/cheaply install the @pipedream_labs pipes anywhere in the world? Because it's how pipes have been installed for decades, even in the city you live in, it was just so easy you never noticed it. Quick thread on how we install our pipes:

First, we use Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to see where existing underground pipes are. Using this readout, we map where to we will place our pipe.

Next you plan your entry and exit holes. You often only need a 4'x6' hole to enter and exit from. These are always off the road and often in grassy areas, sidewalks or parking lots. Next, you rent a Horizontal Directional Drill and use it to bore your pilot hole (4")

Since the drill is steerable, you slope down to the desired depth, bore, and then poke out at the exit hole (up to a mile away). Once the pilot bore arrives at the exit, you attach a reamer to the end. The reamer expands the hole. The hole is reamed a couple times.

Finally the pipe is connected to the reamer and is pulled through the hole. The HDPE pipe is manufactured in 20ft sticks and is fused together as it is pulled through.

This is not a new process, it is one that has been used for the last two decades. This is the leading technology that has allowed us to install the network at such a low cost point even in dense cities. That being said, we have found several ways to make it even quicker and more efficient. More on that soon.