From residential plumbing to massive municipal water treatment and distribution networks, properly designed waterworks rely on quality fittings and valves for leak-free, durable service. Specifying the right fittings and valves in water service line hookups, water mains, metering stations, and other supply points helps maintain safe, uninterrupted water delivery to customers. Below we’ll look at specialized fittings and valves engineered for waterworks.
Water Service Line Fittings Built to Last
The small but important water service lines that branch off distribution mains to supply users depend on durable fittings able to withstand underground conditions. Key features include:
- Brass Construction: The corrosion resistance and strength of brass makes it ideal for the buried water service line environment. More reliable than steel or iron.
- Compression or Flared Fittings: Compression sleeves or flared ends provide leak-free sealing while allowing disassembly if needed for repair.
- Lead-Free Materials: Modern water service line fittings are made from eco-friendly lead-free brass for health and safety.
- Range of Styles: Elbows, straight couplings, adapters, and other fittings to accommodate the service line layout to properties.
- Conformance to Standards: Look for Waterworks Systems fittings products that adhere to AWWA waterworks standards for maximum life and performance.
Selecting the right brass fittings makes for reliable, durable water service from the main to the customer meter.
Resilient Water Works Gate Valves
Water works gate valves are the go-to solution for isolating sections of distribution mains for routine maintenance or emergency repair. Gate valve features include:
- Ductile Iron Body: Provides strength and shock resistance critical for buried water main environments. Avoid cast iron.
- Epoxy Coated: The epoxy coating resists corrosion from surrounding soils. Bonded to the iron rather than a wrapper.
- Non-Rising Stem: Allows easy operation from the surface without needing valve stem exposure. Safer underground.
- Resilient Wedge: The rubberized wedge provides reliable shutoff without jamming from debris. Outperforms metal gates.
- Meets AWWA Standard: Certified to meet critical performance specs for municipal water systems. Don’t compromise with hardware store valves.
For maintaining the integrity of vast buried main networks, municipal gate valves deliver the longevity and reliability water utilities demand.
High-Flow Butterfly Valves Offer Alternatives
In large diameter water transmission mains, Water works butterfly valves are an approved alternative to traditional gate valves, providing:
- Larger Valve Orifice: Butterfly valves offer significantly less pressure loss for optimized water flow efficiency.
- Smaller and Lighter: Compact design saves space underground and is easier to install than massive gate valves.
- Bubble-Tight Shutoff: Meets AWWA leakage standards for complete shutoff when closed.
- Maintenance Friendly: Straight-through design with no pockets allows full debris flushing when open.
- Ductile Iron Body: Provides strength to withstand tough waterworks conditions above and below ground.
By combining both butterfly and gate valves strategically, water utilities can balance strength, space constraints, and flow efficiency needs.
Carefully engineered fittings and valves form the backbone of reliable waterworks from the source to the tap. Specify components designed specifically to meet the demands of municipal and residential water systems for safety and performance.