The EM machine milling a 120-degree slot across the top of Pipe #5.

AVT’s EZ Valve has been used to create a control point at the San Antonio Water and Sewer (SAWS) main pump station after a header was found to be leaking and required repair. The header needed to be isolated to ensure the station could continue pumping and supplying a large area of the city, which is the seventh largest in the United States.

THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT FOR THE JOB

AVT’s distributor and installer Rangeline Group has an ongoing relationship with SAWS so were called on for a solution. They immediately suggested the installation of an insertion valve which could be cut in under full pressure with no need to shut off the flow. The 18-inch AVT EZ Valve would be the ideal piece of equipment for the job.

“Due to the configuration of the pipes feeding the pump station, an isolation point was required on a narrow section of pipe,” says Rangeline’s National Sales Director Greg Foushi. “On either side of the pipe section was the leaking header and a branched off tee that was still continually feeding parts of the city. The new isolation point would enable the pump station to continue to produce the pressures (80 to 90 PSI) and volumes required to maintain its normal water supply to the city, while the header repair was taking place.”

A view of the completed installation.

THE AVT EZ VALVE: HOW IT WORKS

The AVT EZ Valve, an insertion valve, uses an integral isolation gate, which when operated after the slot has been milled into the pipe, allows the EM machine, which milled the slot, to be removed and the resilient wedge installed. This process means the valve can be installed on a live line while the water is flowing. The resilient wedge needs to be lowered just two-thirds of the way into the pipe to commission the installation meaning users have the choice of when to activate the valve.

“Rangeline is a trusted and valued AVT partner and knew the EZ Valve would be the right solution to SAWS’ issue,” adds Shawn Petty, AVT’s vice-president of global sales. “Installing large valves such as these is a highly skilled job and one Rangeline was totally prepared to carry out after many years of installing EZ Valves. We’re delighted our technology offered the solution to this tricky issue.”  


PARTNER PROFILE: AVT

Advanced Valve Technologies (AVT), a part of Critica Infrastructure, manufactures comprehensive solutions for the safe and sustainable repair and rehabilitation of critical water and gas infrastructure. The company is best known for the AVT EZ Valve, an award-winning inline insertion valve designed for quick and easy installation for emergency water line repair and planned pipeline maintenance, requiring no disruption in service. 

For more information, visit www.avtfittings.com.


PARTNER PROFILE: RANGELINE GROUP 

Rangeline Group is a pipeline service company that specializes in water and wastewater providing solutions such as line stops, wet/hot tapping, valve inserting, and pipe freezing just to list a few. Rangeline is also known for their concrete pressure pipe experts and their mechanical services teams. Rangeline takes it one step further to help educate clients across the nation through lunch and learns, the values and importance of pipelines and how to avoid city shutdowns and water main breaks as we are all in this together. 

For more information, visit www.rangeline.com.


FOR MORE INFORMATION

Critica Infrastructure is shaping the future of critical infrastructure through highly-engineered and proven composites, insertion valves, geopolymer materials, and fiber-reinforced polymers, and associated engineering support and training services. Critica Infrastructure solutions are used to construct, maintain, strengthen, protect, and rehabilitate energy transmission and distribution lines, high-consequence industrial pipework, water pipelines, tanks, storm and sanitation systems, and civil/structural assets. Critica Infrastructure solutions are safer and more sustainable, easy to install, cost effective to deploy, and durable for decades. For more information, visit www.criticainfra-nri.com.


MODERN PUMPING TODAY, April 2023
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