With over 7 billion people on our planet, there's no doubt that saving our planet's finite resources and clean water makes good sense. But in a country with excellent water supplies, we often forget just how much water is wasted every day. Older water pipes begin to corrode and leak, soil subsides and causes small cracks and when it all adds together, nearly six billion gallons of treated water is lost on a daily basis in our country, estimated at 14-18% of the country's daily water usage. Locating and repairing leaks can make a big difference in our country's everyday water use. Here's how:
Flint, Michigan has been making the news lately, and not in a good way. With lead contamination in the water affecting between 6,000 and 12,000 children and 10 people dead from Legionaries' Disease, the government is scrambling to address the issue, but nearly a year into this event following the change in water supply sources, how will they recover from this? Flint is facing many of the same problems municipalities across the country are seeing, as the economy continues to slowly climb out of the recession. Old water supply lines are leaking, corroding or otherwise in need of replacement and money is tight. Fortunately, there are a variety of options available that are both affordable and safe. Here's our look at replacement piping and which situations they work in.
Though federal regulations provide strict limitations to what compounds are acceptable in potable water, the increasing interest in water filtration and potential water contamination often leaves customers curious or concerned about what's in their drinking water, often above and beyond what is really concerning. Though the primary concerns deal with lead or bacteria, some waterworks customers are starting to ask questions about the safety of zinc in their water supply. Here are some easy answer to common concerns raised by waterworks customers over the use of zinc in water pipes, fittings and fixtures.
When you're faced with a problem in your waterwork's distribution system, either water or sewer, there's always a bit of give and take while you're trying to figure out the best possible solution to the problem. Will a patch work to get the pipe along a little longer? Should it be replaced with more of the same type of pipe? What about replacing that section with a different type of pipe? By knowing what the benefits and limitations are in each scenario, you can make an educated decision about what action to take for the benefit of your organization. Here's the details to help you decide.
Whether you're trying to increase the lifespan of your existing culvert system or have safety concerns for the integrity of culverts around ford creeks and small bridges, culverts are a serious part of your storm water management system. If your waterworks or company doesn't keep up with maintenance, repair and replacement, you could be exposing yourself to everything from expensive replacements to legal action depending on what happens when your culvert system fails. One great options to consider is culvert lining. Here are the dangers of ignoring culvert maintenance and how culvert lining can help solve those problems.
*Updated April 9th, 2020*
When you tie into an existing water main, you can either shut down the whole system to insert the tap or wet tap it while the system is still under pressure. Many municipalities are not familiar with how wet tapping works, so they use the same old technique they always have: shutting down the whole system. Unfortunately, that technique creates a lot of extra work, with pipe dewatering requiring that the water be tested for bacteria once it's turned on again according to regulations under the Safe Drinking Water Act. It also requires that a boil order be activated for all customers receiving water through that service. With wet tapping, you simply go on with your day. Let's look at what wet tapping is, how it works and the benefits and drawbacks of this technique.
At Team EJP, we know that some of the situations that develop in your waterworks system can be unique and require special services and products that you may not otherwise be familiar with or use on a regular basis. When you're facing a problem like that, it's often more practical in terms of manpower and budget to bring in outside help that is more familiar with dealing with the problem at hand instead of fumbling ahead while paying your people while they try to figure out unfamiliar equipment or the best way to solve the problem. Here are some of the services Team EJP offers to help you keep your department running smoothly and efficiently:
When you're in the waterworks business, you expect to have problems with a wide range of environmental conditions, from settling and shifting base soil to earthquake subsidence to problems caused by extreme temperatures. One particular concern during the winter months, especially in the northern climates, are frost heaves. Frost heaves can leave you with serious damage to your distribution network, even if your pipelines going through that zone never froze themselves. Here is more information on what frost heaves are, the kind of damage they can do to your pipe network and how to replace older pipes that have been damaged through frost heaves.
At Team EJP, we're always looking for a good company to partner with. When we needed help with transporting water, sewer and drain products within the New England region in 1980, P.E.P. Transportation was formed with a single tractor trailer unit. As we grew, so did P.E.P., adding additional units as needed until they sought their independence in June 1985. When it gained its own operating authority, P.E.P. became a contract carrier within the contiguous United States and has been granted licensing authority in Quebec and Ontario provinces in Canada.
When it comes to protecting the quality of our clean water supply, controlling soil erosion goes a long way. By preventing the buildup of silt and mud in our waterways, we're protecting marine wildlife habitat and lowering the load on groundwater filtration. At Team EJP, we're proud to partner with Presto Geosystems to provide erosion control and soil stabilization products that help our environment while providing a solid solution that will last for years to come. Here's a bit more information about these fabulous products:
