Brad Gresham, a graduate of Emory University, is the South Region Business Development Director for Xylem Inc’s Wachs Water Services and Pure Technologies, Ltd. Brad has worked in the water industry over 20 years with experience in the development and implementation of water sector asset management condition assessment solutions. He has participated in multiple National and Regional conference presentations and technical sessions throughout the United States focusing primarily in the southeast region.

I have given presentations at almost every water related conference in the southeast United States as well as technical sessions and continuing education classes.

Valve Assessment and Renewal Averts Critical Asset Failure

Reducing the consequence of failure while improving water quality by assessing and rehabilitating large water main valves to extend the service life of critical infrastructure components.

ASSET MANAGEMENT is simply the process of planning, budgeting, funding, designing, constructing, monitoring, evaluating, maintaining, and rehabilitating assets to provide maximum benefits with available and often limited funds.  Unfortunately, we have experienced a maintenance crisis within the past 25 years or so, where our aging infrastructure hasn’t received needed condition assessment, maintenance and repair.  Some of the most basic considerations of building an Asset Management program have long been ignored.  These include location, asset specifics, condition, site specific details and accuracy of information.  Having an asset management condition assessment program allows a utility to move from being reactive to being proactive and eventually predictive in its operations.

REHABILITATING, rather than replacing, large valves in a water system makes perfect economic sense when you consider the cost, time, and operational benefits.  Grand Rapids, Mich., provides a good example of this insight.  Using Lake Michigan as its water source, the city owns and operates the second largest water system in Michigan.  The Grand Rapids water system consists of roughly 1,250 miles of pipeline and more than 31,000 valves.  There are approximately 1,300 large valves (16 inches and larger) in the City’s transmission system that are used to control the system during main breaks and planned maintenance.

Large and Critical valves are the backbone of water transmission and distribution systems.  They control water networks and reduce the consequences of failure when a main break occurs. Some of these valves are enormous assets; with the power to control flow through pipelines of more than 7 feet in diameter.  These valves can weigh several tons and withstand operating pressures of up to 500 psi.  According to the AWWA Manual of Water Supply Practice M44, Distribution Valves: Selection, Installation, Field Testing, and Maintenance (www.awwa.org/m44), such valves should be inspected and exercised annually.  When operating properly, critical valves help utilities respond effectively to crises by isolating problem areas and limiting the duration and effects of outages.