Valves for Municipal Water Distribution, Storage, and Wastewater Treatment

Most of the operations in the water and wastewater industries, from treatment to storage, to distribution, rely heavily on pipeline infrastructure. Pipeline infrastructure and dependable control systems are critical to the sector's success. Any systemic flaws or weaknesses could lead to significant losses, dangerous spills, and environmental disasters. 

The safe operation of municipal water systems relies heavily on industrial valves. Among other things, they are in charge of flow management and ensuring the integrity of supply lines. The following is a listing to understand better the performance and applications of the different industrial valves applied in municipal water systems. 

In systems that require precise flow control, globe valves often regulate and control liquid flow. They're also suitable for cutoff, but they're usually more expensive than gate valves. 

The most commonly encountered type of valve is the gate valve. Gate valves are employed to start and stop the flow of liquid. These valves are either completely open or completely closed in reality. These are fantastic shut-off valves. Gate valves come in various forms to suit a wide range of applications. 

Butterfly Valves regulate and stop the flow of water. These valves are small and light, taking up less room than valves that perform equivalent duties. 

A quarter-turn valve used in shutdown applications is a ball valve. The valve uses an embedded ball that spins within the valve body to control fluid flow. Because ball valves are lighter and more compact than gate valves, they are preferred for on-off applications.

In a pipeline system, check valves are responsible for preventing backflow. A check valve opens when fluid travels through a line; however, when the flow reverses, the valve closes. 

High-pressure events or vacuums can harm a pipeline system; thus, the installation of relief valves protect it. The pipeline pressure is not fully released because the valves only release the pressure to a predefined point. Relief valves come in various shapes and sizes to suit a variety of purposes. 

Pinch valves are linear motion valves utilized in piping systems that handle solids, slurries, and thick fluids for throttling and shutdown. A pinch valve uses a pinch tube to control the flow. 

Automatic Controls of Virginia, based in Ashland, Virginia, is a significant distributor of municipal water system valves. 

Automatic Controls assists customers with application, design, product start-up help, product service training, and support and works with some of the most well-known and forward-thinking valve manufacturers on the market today.

Automatic Controls of Virginia
https://acva.com
(804) 752-1000 

Let Automatic Controls of Virginia Do Your "Valve Automation Heavy Lifting"

Automatic Controls of Virginia has the experience, facilities, and field service capabilities to handle any valve automation project.  When it comes to design, fabrication, assembly, and installation, Automatic Controls of Virginia is a solid choice. With five decades of solving some of the toughest valve automation challenges in industrial control and municipal water treatment, Automatic Controls is ready to do the "heavy lifting" with your next valve automation requirement.

Automatic Controls of Virginia
https://acva.com
804-752-1000

Setting the Studs and Nuts Before Mounting a Waterman Fabricated Slide Gate

This video covers how to set up the studs and nuts before mounting a Waterman fabricated sliding gate valve, and also how to adjust the cross rail to ensure there are no gaps between the seat and the slide plate.

INSTRUCTIONS

The first thing you want to do is refer to your submittal drawing to make sure that the studs are exposed to proper length.  Align each nut on the corners, so that your gate is perfectly plumb.  Go from side to side, and corner to corner, aligning the nuts with the straight edge. 

After you have the gate mounted, you'll work with a cross rail seal.  Start with the two middle nuts, and alternate one and another, working your way out to the edge of the gate as shown of the Waterman installation manual for fabricated slide gates. Using a 0.004 feeler gauge, check the cross rail seal between the slide and the seal to ensure that it does not pass through. If you do have a place where it crosses through, you need to loosen the front nut and tighten up the back nut, bringing the frame of the gate closer to the slide and decreasing the leakage path.  

Go back through the gate installation and make sure all your bolts are very tight, and that you don't have any leakage pass across the top seal. It's the most critical part of your installation - making sure that the cross seal doesn't have any leaks.  

ABOUT WATERMAN

Waterman takes pride in their industry-leading technical capabilities and experience. Their engineering knowledge allows them to tackle any project, and they welcome all opportunities to create custom design products for any water control application.

For more information about water control products for water treatment, wastewater, high-volume agricultural and rural surface water delivery, hydro-power, and flood control management, contact Automatic Controls of Virginia. They can be reached by calling (804) 752-1000 of by visiting their website at https://acva.com.

Automating Large Municipal and Industrial Valves

When you need to automate large ball, butterfly, gate, or globe valves consider Automatic Controls of Virginia.

ACVA has decades of experience, the know-how, the staff, and the facilities to handle the most challenging valve actuation applications.

With scores of successful installations at municipal water facilities, chemical companies, pulp & paper mills and government R&D facilities, ACVA has established a solid reputation for outstanding quality and service.

For more information, contact Automatic Controls of Virginia at https://acva.com or call 804-752-1000.

Technology Demo: Emerson EIM Electric Actuators for Valves, Dampers, and Louvers

EIM is known for its innovative electric valve actuators built for the harshest industrial and municipal applications. You'll find EIM actuators throughout the processing industries,  where reliability is critical  - oil and gas, power, refining, chemical, petrochemical, water/wastewater and mining.  EIM actuators and controls have a proven track record for performance in critical shutdown applications.  

EIM offers a wide range of electric actuators with different frame sizes, horsepower ratings and output speeds readily tailored to your specific applications. EIM electric actuator products are selected by application requirements of voltage, torque, operating time, and valve shaft diameter. Actuators are designed tor ball, plug, and butterfly valves as well as quarter turn damper and louver drives. 

For more information in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Washington D.C. and Maryland, contact:

Automatic Controls of VA

https://acva.com

(804) 752-1000

American Water Works Association Valve Standards and Descriptions

The American Water Works Association (AWWA), the leading non-profit, scientific and educational association dedicated to water management and treatment. AWWA members include water utilities, treatment plant operators and managers, and manufacturers. The AWWA maintains and regulates the design and performance standards of valves and actuators used in municipal water treatment and distribution systems.  The following are the standards with links for additional information:

AWWA C500-09 Metal-Seated Gate Valves for Water Supply Service

This standard describes iron-body, brass-mounted, non-rising stem (NRS) gate valves, including tapping gate valves, 3-in. (75-mm) NPS through 48-in. (1,200-mm) NPS, and outside screw and yoke (OS&Y) rising-stem gate valves, 3-in. (75-mm) NPS through 24-in. (600-mm) NPS, with either double-disc gates having parallel or inclined seats, or solid-wedge gates. These valves are suitable for use in approximately level settings in water systems. These valves are intended for applications where fluid velocities do not exceed 16 ft/sec (4.9 m/sec) when the valve is in the fully open position. The major revisions in this edition of ANSI/AWWA C500 include the following: editorial changes to conform to current AWWA form and content; permitting the use of stainless-steel stems and reduced-thickness ductile-iron flanges; addition of stainless steel as a stem material; addition of a "non-integral thrust collar" for stems in NRS valves; addition of aluminum-bronze and silicon-bronze copper alloys; provision for reduced flange thickness for end flanges of ductile-iron flanged valves; addition of 14-in. and 18-in. valve sizes; and, addition of metric fasteners and socket head fasteners.

AWWA C510-07 Double Check Valve Backflow Prevention Assembly

This standard describes the double check valve back flow prevention assembly. The assembly shall be for operation on hot or cold water lines and capable of withstanding a working water pressure of at least 150 psi (1,034 kPa) without damage to working parts or impairment of function. This standard describes hot- and cold-water double check valve back flow prevention assemblies. Assemblies shall be designed to operate at a minimum temperature range of 33ºF to 140ºF (1ºC to 60ºC). Hot water assemblies shall be designed to operate, at a minimum, in water at a temperature range of 33ºF to 180ºF (1ºC to 82ºC). A complete assembly consists of two internally loaded, independently operating check valves, located between two tightly closing resilient-seated shutoff valves, with four properly placed resilient-seated test cocks (see Sec. 4.3.1.3). Major revisions made to the standard in this revision include the following: AWWA standard materials statement has been added (Sec. III.A.2 and Sec. 4.1); synthetic coating of ferrous bodies has been removed (Sec. 4.1.2); the material callouts have been updated (Sec. 4.1.3); the identification of nominal size of the assembly has been revised (4.2.1.1); the requirements for structural capability and operational capability have been revised (Sec. 4.2.2.1 and Sec. 4.2.2.2); the sections on area of waterways, clearance of moving parts, facing rings for poppet-type valves, facing rings for swing-type valves, and bushings have been removed (former Sec. 4.3.1.2 through Sec. 4.3.1.6); the requirements for shutoff valves have been updated (Sec. 4.3.1.6); requirements for operational cycle testing have been added (Sec. 4.3.2.3); and, requirements for replacement parts have been added (Sec. 4.3.4).

AWWA C507-11 Ball Valves, 6 in. through 60 in. (150 mm through 1,500 mm) 

This standard covers gray-iron, ductile-iron, and cast-steel, flanged-end, low-leakage, shaft- or trunnion-mounted, full-port, double- and single-seated ball valves for pressures up to 150 psi (1,050 kPa) in sizes 6-in. through 60-in. (150-mm through 1,500-mm) diameter and pressures up to 300 psi (2,100 kPa) in sizes from 6-in. through 48-in. (150-mm through 1,200-mm) diameter for use in water, wastewater, and reclaimed water systems having water with a pH greater than 6 and less than 12 and with temperatures greater than 32ºF (0ºC) and less than 125ºF (52ºC). Design fluid velocity - the valve assembly shall be structurally suitable for a port fluid velocity of 35 ft/sec (10.7 m/sec) at design pressure and shall be within the allowable stresses noted in Sec. 4.3.1. Pressure class and rated/design pressure - the classes of valves discussed in this standard shall be designed for the maximum rated pressure. Rated pressure is defined as the design pressure at 100ºF (38ºC). The major changes made in this revision of the standard include the following: added sizes 54 in. and 60 in. (1,350 mm and 1,500 mm); added paragraph 25 in Section III regarding the consideration of requiring pulls less than 80 lb (356 N) for hand-wheels and chainwheels; added paragraphs 1.4 on Valve Construction and 1.5 on Description of Operation to Sec. 1, General; revised Table 1 in Sec. 4.3, Port diameter and minimum body shell thickness, to require that the wall thicknesses of ductile-iron construction be the same wall thicknesses as cast steel construction; added paragraph 4.3.9.4 on design methodology for the valve shafts; revised the metal-seat leakage requirements in Sec. 5.1.2.3; revised coating requirements in Sec. 4.4.3; added actuator pressure rating and actuator flow rating to nameplate requirements; and, added Appendix A on Installation, Operation, and Maintenance of Ball Valves.

AWWA C509-09 Resilient-Seated Gate Valves for Water Supply Service

This standard describes iron-body, resilient-seated gate valves with non-rising stems (NRS) and outside screw-and-yoke (OS&Y) rising stems, including tapping gate valves, for water supply service having a temperature range of 33º-125ºF (0.6º- 52ºC). These valves are intended for applications where fluid velocity does not exceed 16 ft/sec when the valve is in full open position. Major revisions made to the standard in this edition include the following: editorial changes to conform to current AWWA form and content; addition of reduced-thickness ductile-iron flanges; addition of stainless-steel alloys for use as a stem material; permitting the use of non-integral thrust collars for stems in NRS valves; addition of aluminum-bronze and silicon-bronze copper alloys; addition of 14-, 18-, and 36-in. valve sizes; addition of socket head and metric fasteners; requirement to use an anti-seize compound with stainless-steel bolts and nuts; and, removal of maximum phosphorus content.

AWWA C515-09 Reduced-Wall, Resilient-Seated Gate Valves for Water Supply Service

This standard describes reduced-wall, resilient-seated gate valves with non-rising stems (NRS) and outside screw-and-yoke (OS&Y) rising stems, including tapping gate valves, for water supply service having a temperature range of 33º to 125ºF (0.6º to 52ºC). These valves are intended for applications where fluid velocity does not exceed 16 ft/sec (4.9 m/sec) when the valve is in the fully open position. Major revisions made to the standard in this edition include the following: revised to cover 42-in. NPS and 48-in. NPS sizes; revised to include integral and non-integral thrust collar stem designs; revised to include reduced flange thickness for flanged-end valves; revised to include socket head and metric fasteners; added additional copper alloys to Table 5; and, revised to include the use of stainless-steel components (Sec. 4.2.3.5).

AWWA C504-10 Rubber-Seated Butterfly Valves, 3 In. (75 mm) through 72 In. (1,800 mm)

This standard establishes minimum requirements for rubber-seated butterfly valves, 3 in. (75 mm) through 72 in. (1,800 mm) in diameter, with various body and end types, for fresh water having a pH range from 6-12 and a temperature range from 33º-125ºF (0.6º-52ºC). This standard covers rubber-seated butterfly valves suitable for a maximum steady-state fluid working pressure of 250 psig (1,723 kPa), a maximum steady-state differential pressure of 250 psi (1,723 kPa), and a maximum fully open fluid velocity of 16 ft/sec (4.9 m/sec) based on nominal valve size. The major revisions made to the standard in this edition include the following: permeation language was moved to the Foreword under Special Issues, Sec. II.C; and, new requirements were provided for mechanical-joint-end valves.

AWWA C542-09 Electric Motor Actuators for Valves and Slide Gates

This standard describes electric motor actuators for valves and slide gates in water, wastewater, and reclaimed water utility systems. Electric motor actuators are designed to produce a multi-turn rotary motion output to actuate a multi-turn valve or gate, or to actuate an external gear head for quarter-turn valves. Electric motor actuators not requiring external gear heads for quarter-turn valves are defined in Sec. 4.4.1.2. This is the first edition of this standard, and therefore, there are no revisions.

AWWA C508-09 Swing-Check Valves for Waterworks Service, 2-In. through 24-In. (50-mm through 600-mm) NPS

This standard describes only iron body, non-assisted, swing-check valves, 2-in. through 24-in. (50-mm through 600-mm) NPS, with mechanical-joint or flanged ends that are installed in approximately level settings in water systems. The manufacturer should be consulted for special conditions. Check valve sizes described in this standard are 2-, 2 1/2-, 3-, 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, 12-, 14-, 16-, 18-, 20-, and 24-in. (50-, 65-, 75-, 100-, 150-, 200-, 250-, 300-, 350-, 400-, 450-, 500-, and 600-mm) NPS. Sizes refer to the nominal diameter of the waterway through the inlet and outlet connections and the seat ring. Major revisions made to the standard in this edition include the following: the pressure ratings were revised in Sec. 1.1.4; standard end-to-end dimensions were moved from the appendix to the body of the standard in Sec. 4.4.2 and Table 2; new ductile-iron flange thicknesses were added to Sec. 4.4.7.1 and Table 3; and, a new appendix titled "Installation, Operation, and Maintenance of Swing- Check Valves for Waterworks Service" was added.

AWWA C512-07 Air-Release, Air/Vacuum, and Combination Air Valves for Waterworks Service 

This standard describes 1/2 in. (13-mm) through 6 in. (150-mm) air-release valves and 1/2 in. (13-mm) through 20-in. (500-mm) air/vacuum and combination air valves having gray cast-iron or ductile-iron bodies and covers. The valves are designed for use in water systems with maximum working pressures of 300 psig (2,070 kPa [gauge]) and water temperatures ranging from above freezing to a maximum of 125ºF (52ºC). Major changes made to the standard in this revision include the following: added requirements for throttling devices in Sec. 4.3.3; and, added requirements for slow-closing devices in Sec. 4.3.4.

AWWA C517-09 Resilient-Seated Cast-Iron Eccentric Plug Valves

This standard describes resilient-seated cast-iron eccentric plug valves, 3 in. (75 mm) through 72 in. (1,800 mm) in diameter, with flanged, grooved, or mechanical-joint ends, for water, wastewater, and reclaimed water systems having a pH range from 6 to 12 and a temperature range from 33ºF to 125ºF (0.6ºC to 52ºC). The minimum design pressure shall be 175 psig (1,208 kPa) for 3 in. through 12 in. (75 mm through 300 mm) sizes and 150 psig (1,034 kPa) for 14 in. through 72 in. (350 mm through 1,800 mm) sizes. Major changes made to the standard in this revision include the following: expanded Scope and Purpose to include wastewater and reclaimed water service; added references to ANSI/AWWA Standards C541 and C542 for power actuator requirements; and, removed contractual language from the body of the standard.

AWWA C541-08 Hydraulic and Pneumatic Cylinder and Vane-Type Actuators for Valves and Slide Gates

This standard describes hydraulic and pneumatic cylinder and vane-type actuators for operation of valve and slide gates in utility systems. This is the first edition of this standard, and therefore, there are no revisions.