The Elements Of A Water Main Valve Management Program

A serious water main break is one of those things that can shut a section of a city down very fast. Flooding from a water main break can affect businesses, homes and city services like buses. Damages can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on the extent of the damage. In some cities, the water main lines are old or outdated, which makes the likelihood of a leak or rupture even greater.

City officials who are serious about keeping the water main system in good working order will have a water main valve management program implemented. Water main valve management is basically a system to ensure the water mains are free of leaks and that any problems are dealt with quickly to minimize damage and added expense to ther city. A good water main valve management program consists of a few different elements, and will typically assess hydrants, pipelines and meters as part of the service.

Water main leak detection is one element of effective water main valve management. If the entire system is monitored closely and regularly, small leaks can be detected early. Pinpointing the location of a water main leak is one of the main features of water main leak detection. Being able to determine where the leak is along the line, means the subsequent valves can be shut off quickly and water main valve repair can commence. Modern water main valve management companies use sophisticated equipment to monitor the system and look for leaks. Detailed mapping techniques help aid in water main leak detection, so the problem can be isolated and fixed.

Water main valve repair is the element that occurs after a leak has been detected. After the location of the leak has been found, the water main valve management team can get to work repairing the faulty valve. Since most cities can't afford to have water mains shut down for too long, the water main valve repair process must be carried out in a timely fashion. Another element of water main valve management that reduces the need for water main valve repair is water main valve exercise. Water main valve exercise is a process where the team will go along the system and turn or "exercise" the water main valves. This water main valve exercise helps to keep the valves operational and easy to turn in case they must be shut off due to a leak. Without water main valve exercise, the valves may stick or even break when they need to be shut off, which will make the leak situation much worse.

A good water main valve management program basically consists of prevention, detection and corrective action. Water main leak detection is important, as is water main valve exercise and water main valve repair. To keep a city running smoothly, you need all elements to be working in unison with one another. As long as the lives of the people above ground are never affected by what's happening below ground, you know that your water main valve management program is working well.

----------------------------------------------------
The leading provider of water distribution system asset management for water main leak detection.
http://www.wachsws.com/services/pipeline-management/water-main-leak-detection

EasyPublish this article: http://submityourarticle.com/articles/easypublish.php?art_id=249447