Over a span of 32 hours, a city of about 20,000 people in upstate New York suffered 13 residential water main breaks. After making temporary emergency repairs, the Department of Public Works (DPW) turned to F.W. Webb, which supplied thousands of feet of HDPE pipe within weeks.
After repairing the initial leaks, the City Council authorized emergency funding for the water main replacement project. Knowing that the existing mains were susceptible to additional breaks, the city had to complete the high-priority project quickly and efficiently. Once the DPW provided a short-term fix for the leaks in the existing asbestos cement pipes, they explored an immediate, long-term solution to replace 23,000 linear feet—or more than 4.3 miles—of water main piping. In addition, the city needed the accompanying water main accessories, so the DPW engaged F.W. Webb, a premier distributor of HDPE pipe, to assist in the repair project.
Compared with iron piping, HDPE pipe is much more lightweight and flexible, less expensive, and lasts longer. HDPE pipe is also leakproof and ideal for directional drilling. These factors made it the obvious choice to solve the residential water service crisis.
The work involved replacing mains in 14 streets serving 400 residences in 120 buildings, many with multiple water service connections. The repairs also included 35 hydrants and 75 mainline gate valves. Webb worked directly with the DPW to source the necessary materials and coordinated with vendors to expedite delivery so work could commence 6 weeks after funds were approved.
Three separate contractors installed the new piping adjacent to the existing mains using open-cut and directional drilling. The DPW kept the old system active until all new piping was pressure-tested and disinfected and installation of the new service connections was complete. Then, the DPW shut down the old water system in sections.
The work also included the installation of four iHydrants. Manufactured by the Clow Valve Company, a McWane, Inc. division, iHydrants allow a municipality to monitor pressure and temperature changes throughout a water system. The iHydrants will provide a safeguard to prevent future disruptions.
The water main replacement was soon completed in all 14 streets. F.W. Webb’s ability to quickly source and supply more than 4 miles of pipe and the accompanying accessories provided the city with the resources to resolve a water supply calamity before it worsened.
For more information, visit www.fwwebb.com.
