AMERICAN Valve Is Smooth Operator in Birmingham Water Works Board Line

Owner:

Birmingham Water Works Board, Birmingham, Ala.

Project Summary:

When a 42-inch valve manufactured in the 1930s became inoperable, the Birmingham Water Works Board (BWWB) turned to AMERICAN. The water utility purchased a 60-inch AMERICAN Series 2500 resilient wedge gate valve to connect to its existing 60-inch line. This line carries untreated water from one of the BWWB sources to two of its water filtration plants. The 60-inch valve, which was put into service June 7, 2011, is the largest in the system.

“We needed a more up-to-date valve,” said BWWB project engineer Derrick Murphy. “The valve itself has a resilient gate; its design provides for a smoother transition in opening and closing the line.” 

“Working with AMERICAN was a very smooth process.”
Derrick Murphy

Key Players:

Contractor: Rast Construction, Inc., Birmingham, Ala.; Distributor: Ferguson Waterworks, Pelham, Ala.

What They Said:

“[Working with AMERICAN] was a very smooth process. We are very satisfied with the valve,” said Murphy. “Once we bolted it in and tested the line pressure, there were no leaks, and we were ready to place the line back in service.”

What They Used:

The order consisted of one 60-inch AMERICAN Series 2500 resilient wedge gate valve and two Toruseal flange gaskets.