United Kingdom
Pipe Details
- 4-inch (100-mm) PVC Clean Water Main
Summary
- A 4-inch (100-mm) PVC clean water main was leaking and needed to be repaired
- UK distributor R2M supplied, and R2M Site Services installed a 4-inch (100-mm) AVT EZ Valve on the line
- Installation required only 1 shallow excavation
- The valve was installed while the line was operating
United Utilities, the North West UK water company, provides service for 3 million homes and 200,000 businesses across the region. Maintaining water and wastewater service is the company’s top priority, so when an inspection revealed a leak in a 4-inch (100-mm) PVC clean water main, the company immediately began making plans to restore line integrity.
The objective was to arrest the leak as quickly as possible without disrupting service to the thousands of customers served by this main. Looking to a trusted partner for support, the company contacted R2M Ltd., the UK distributor of the AVT EZ Valve.
After evaluating the line, the team determined that the best solution would be to install a 4-inch (100-mm) AVT EZ Valve that would be operated with a left hand close.
Because of the unique inline valve design that allows water to continue flowing through the pipe while the repair is being made, there was no need to shut off water while the installation team from R2M Site Services got to work. A trained 3-man installation team from R2M Site Services excavated the area and installed the AVT EZ Valvein only 3 hours, providing a durable and cost-effective solution that will allow improved access and control on the repaired line. An alternative repair would have required more extensive excavation, more components, and more time to achieve the same results and would have disrupted service while the repair was being executed.
Once installed the AVT EZ Valve becomes a tangible and useful asset for utility companies. It is registered on their GIS system with a permanent record of its exact location should the company need to shut off water in that area in the future. The valve works and is operated as a standard valve and is understood by water utility workers across the industry.