Valve Exercise Program Where’s the Value and where do I … utility management... · So I really need a Valve Exercise program, Where do I Start: ... TOTAL: 57 Unusable valves:

Optimized Valve MaintenanceWhere’s the Value and where do

I startDavid Bries, Utility Superintendent

City of Montrose

Agenda• What are the Best Practices for Valve Maintenance

• Intended function of valves• Asset Inventory• Condition Assessment• Best practices

• What are the national statistics on Valve operability

• How do I develop a valve Exercise program• Determine critical valves• Determine Consequences of failure• Determine Probability of a failure that will require use of

valves

• What is needed to conduct a valve exercise program

• What do I expect from a valve exercise program

• Discussion and Questions

Why are valves installed in the distribution system?• Start and stop flow

• Isolate a specific line segment

• Typical valve spacing & configuration• At pipe intersections

• Typical distribution spacing <800 feet.

• What are your valves condition?

G!.

920

116

901

122

121

925

927

143

929

N 9

TH S

T

N S

EL

IG A

VE

6 / PVC

Asset Inventory

• How many and what types of Valves do you have?• Double disk gate valves

• Resilient seat gate valves

• Butterfly valves

• PRV’s and Control Valves

• Air Release Valves.

• Right hand /left hand opening

Self Assessment Guide for Distribution System Optimization

“The Utility should have a complete inventory of it’s hydrants,

valves and blowoffs and associated physical and location

attributes”

Basic Condition Assessment

How many of your valves are accessible…….….. and operable?

• Paved over• Buried• Can’t find• Rounded operating nut• Can’t get on operating nut• Broken operating nut• Does it turn the expected number of turns• Spins free• Won’t turn Self Assessment Guide for Distribution System Optimization

“The Utility should have a process in place for assessing the

condition of distribution system assets”

Best Practices for Maintaining Valves

What happens when valves are not accessible …..or operable?• Crews have to close more valves

to isolate the line

• Takes longer to complete the repair.

• More customers are impacted

• Damage to property increases.

How Frequently should valves be Operated/Exercised• …..It depends• What are your customers level of service

expectations?• How critical is the valve?• Who is impacted?

• High impact customers?• Hospitals, Nursing homes, Medical facilities• Restaurants• Industrial customers• Mayor?

• How many customers?• Single feed neighborhoods?• Major supply/transmission lines?

hydrant

valve

service

Asset usability consequences:

• Duration: damaging flow and

actions to control the situation – 3

valves vs. 7 valves

• Footprint: more customers

out of service – 3 services vs. 17

services

break

What happens when valves are inoperable?

Inaccessible or Inoperable valves means:

• More crew time to isolate lines

• More customers affected

• Increased property damage

• Less customer satisfaction

• Increased water loss

• Increased cost of repairs

• More risk of valves being left in closed position

• Frustrated crew members

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This is not the time to figure out if your valves

work!

13

Because the Consequences can be Huge!

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So I really need a Valve Exercise program, Where do I Start:

Start with what you have:

• Do you have a good mapping system?

• Do you know where all of your valves are supposed to be?• GPS coordinates• Valve Ties

• What info do you have on your valves?• Size?• Type?• Turn direction?

What is involved in a Valve Exercise Program

Valve Inventory• Physical access to valves

• Verify location (gps, valve ties, etc?)

• Count number of turns• Does it correspond with valve

size?• If not, Is the valve a different size?• Is the valve type correct

• Can you hear the valve seal as you close it?

Condition Assessment• Is Valve accessible?

• Valve box full of debri?• Paved over/landscaped over

• Is valve operable?• Valve box shifted off center• Valve nut rounded/missing• Spins free

• Does valve leak?• Packing seal• Bonnet bolts corroded

Which Valves are most important?

Criticality of Water Service• Transmission Mains affecting service

to large groups of customers

• Distribution valves needed to maintain service to critical customers• Hospitals• Dialysis Centers• Nursing Homes• Medical facilities• Manufacturing facilities• Restaurants• Downtown/high density areas

• Determine the level of priority

Which Valves are most likely needed?

Probability of Failure

• Areas prone to main breaks

• Aging Infrastructure areas

• Areas around road or other utility re-construction areas.

Rate of Deterioration

• How frequently do the valves need to be maintained?• Depends on the rate of deterioration

• Some problems are static.• Some maintenance issues deteriorate over time….like

debris in valve boxes, and that may depend on the valve’s location.

• Some issues deteriorate more linearly, while others may be caused by a single operation or action by someone.

• How critical is the timely operation of the valve?• What is the consequences of failure….or delays in closing

the valve?

• Operate a representative sample annually to determine rate of deterioration

How’s it working for Montrose

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How it’s working for Montrose

Engaged Wachs Water Services in 2014 for 563 valves

Focus on Transmission mains and known critical valves in the system

And continued in 2015 for an additional 566 valves

Focus on oldest part of the system

Plan to continue on this pace into the future

It’s working!21

Areas Worked 2014Focus on Transmission Mains and Main arteries

22

Program Summary 2014

23

563 valves assessed

• 19% increase in usability

19 valves found closed - now open

2 frozen valves rehabilitated

14 valves uncovered (previously inaccessible)

152 map discrepancies

70 unusable valves identified for prioritization by Montrose

Current Operability

Valve Operability - 2014Initial Operability

24

25

Valve Initial Operability 2014

563 Valves

26

Valve Current Operability 2014

563 Valves

Positions Corrected 2014

27

Frozen Repaired 2014

28

Map Discrepancies – Valves 2014

29

Unusable valves: 2014, for prioritization by Montrose

30

Description TotalCannot Locate 29Stuck Lid 13Paved Over/Need To Raise 9Debris/Large Vacuum Needed 8Op Nut Rounded 3Frozen 2Misaligned Box 2Major Packing Leak 1Sheared Stem 1Spins Free 1Bent Stem 1

TOTAL: 70

Areas Worked 2015Focus on older parts of infrastructure

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Program Summary 2015

566 valves assessed

• 60% increase in usability

35 valves found closed - now open

3 frozen valves rehabilitated

3 valves uncovered (previously inaccessible)

93 map discrepancies

57 unusable valves identified for prioritization by Montrose

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Valve Operability - 2015Initial Operability

33

Current Operability

34

Valve Initial Operability 2015

566 Valves

35

Valve Current Operability 2015

566 Valves

Positions Corrected 2015

36

Frozen Repaired 2015

37

Map Discrepancies – Valves 2015

38

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Description Total

Cannot Locate 22

Misaligned/Damaged Box 13

Op Nut Rounded/Missing 11

Paved Over/Need To Raise 9

Spins Free 2

TOTAL: 57

Unusable valves: 2015, for prioritization by Montrose

How’s it going for Montrose

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It’s getting done!

We know which valves work

We know data on our valves

We are prioritizing our repairs/replacements

We are reducing the cost of failures

This is an ongoing program

That is getting done, is documented with data

And, is delivering a return on the investment

Distribution System Optimization

• “Optimized distribution systems should have a defined valve exercising and rehabilitation or replacement program.”

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Next Steps- Development of Replacement & Repair Program

Replacing valves

• Valves that spin free

• Valves that won’t turn

• Valves that leak???

Repairing Valves

• Valves that are paved over or buried.

• Valve boxes that have shifted

• Rounded, broken valve operating nuts

43a

Discussion

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David Bries – City of [email protected]

(970) 240-1484