Metro Water Services (MWS) has selected Mueller Service Co. to help improve its ability to manage and maintain its water system by locating and assessing the condition of water valves throughout its service area.
According to Hal Balthrop, P.E., assistant director of system services for Metro Water Services, routine and emergency valve maintenance and repair have been considerably difficult, and in some cases impossible, because locations of many of the valves in Metro Water Services’ water system were never recorded when they were installed between 1950 and 1970.
“This project will provide the critical data that will help us to conduct ongoing valve maintenance, gain more confidence in our distribution system and more efficiently utilize our limited in-house resources for other system demands,” said Balthrop.
Located in Nashville, Tenn., MWS supplies drinking water services throughout Nashville, Davidson County and the surrounding area to more than 177,000 customers.
Under the terms of the agreement, Mueller Service Co. will locate and assess the operational condition and accessibility of water valves (2 in. to 60 in. in diameter) in MWS’ service area. Information collected by Mueller Service Co. during the project will be used by MWS to improve the accuracy of its geographic information system (GIS) database and update its computerized maintenance and management system.
“Utilities’ ability to control the flow of water through their distribution systems largely depends on the operational condition of their valves,” said Andrew Apgar, national sales manager for Mueller Service Co. “By locating and assessing the condition of its valves, Metro Water Services will be able to more efficiently conduct routine water system maintenance, prioritize repairs and replacement and isolate areas of its distribution system in the event of an emergency.”
Source: Mueller Water Products
