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Perhaps the most memorable thing to ever happen in western Kentucky took place in 1806 when future U.S. President Andrew Jackson and a horse and slave trader named Charles Dickinson settled a running argument in a pistol duel in Logan County. Facing the same direction and standing eight paces apart, the two men turned toward each other on cue with the understanding that each would fire at his own discretion. Dickinson — a renowned marksman and thought by some to be the best shot in the whole country — fired first. The bullet slammed into Jackson's chest, breaking two of his ribs and lodging next to his heart. Witnesses recalled that the shot knocked a cloud of dust out of Jackson's clothes. Amazingly, however, Old Hickory remained standing. Dickinson, astonished that Jackson was alive, folded his arms and was stoic as he waited for the inevitable retort. Jackson's shot went clear through Dickinson, severing a major artery and mortally wounding him. As Jackson left the scene — on horseback — one of his boots was filling with blood from his wound. He rode on, however, not wanting his foe's friends to see him suffering in pain. Nothing since the Jackson-Dickinson duel has topped it in terms of interesting history in Logan County. The county has but 26,000 residents and remains largely agricultural and laid back. It's the same in neighboring Todd County, which has 11,000 residents. Recently, however, the two counties pioneered the formation of a regional water system that already appears to be one of the best things to ever happen in the area. Formed in 1995, the Logan/ Todd Regional Water Commission (LTRWC) marks the first time that two counties in Kentucky joined together in a regional system. LTRWC can pump, treat, and distribute 10 million gallons of water a day and will be able to serve almost 50,000 people for at least the next 30 years. LTRWC is a hybrid of existing water systems supported by $75 million in recent projects for new facilities and pipelines. Entities making up the commission are Adairville, Auburn, Elkton, Guthrie, Lewisburg, Oak Grove (in Christian County), Russellville, and Trenton. Also part of LTRWC are the South Logan Water Association and the East Logan, North Logan, and Todd County water districts. Several factors contributed to the need for LTRWC. Area droughts, including a severe lack of rain in 1988, sent water levels dangerously low. Some of the local water systems were experiencing major problems meeting demand, and they lacked the money needed for new facilities that could handle growth and meet stringent environmental regulations. And a larger, more reliable water supply was necessary to attract new industries. "All of those factors came together at about the same time," said LTRWC's Sandra Walton. "It became pretty clear that it would be better for us all to work together. Usually, when you have different governments working together, you have politics. But with this, all the members have an equal voice, and the focus is on taking care of all the members. It is really a very workable arrangement, and I think everybody is really pleased with it." Necessary for LTRWC's development were a new water treatment plant and three storage tanks, among other things. LTRWC also has installed more than 53 miles of ductile iron pipe and fittings supplied by American Cast Iron Pipe Company. The commission's foundation rests on drawing water from the Cumberland River in Clarksville, Tennessee, and conveying it to a new treatment plant in Guthrie, Kentucky. That water is carried through a 15-mile pipeline, all of which consists of AMERICAN 36-inch Fastite® or Flex-Ring® pipe. Almost 400 feet of AMERICAN Flex-Lok® ball-and-socket pipe was used for an especially difficult river crossing en route to the plant. Another newly installed LTRWC water line transports the treated water 19 miles from the Guthrie plant to Russellville, which is the largest city in the commission's service area. That line consists of AMERICAN 24-inch-diameter Fastite® and Flex-Ring® Ductile Iron pipe. Numerous other commission water lines are linked to the new 24- and 36-inch mains — some directly, others indirectly. Project engineers considered using high-density polyethylene (HDPE) on recent pipeline projects before the technical and economic advantages of AMERICAN Ductile Iron pipe were fully weighed. The decision to use AMERICAN pipe came down to durability, its higher hydraulic capacity than HDPE, and its proven track record, said Mike McGhee, project engineer for McGhee Engineering in Guthrie. "The overriding concern was to provide a reliable pipeline," McGhee said. "About 40,000 people will rely on the water delivered by this pipeline, so it was imperative to use the most reliable pipe material on the market." In the short run, McGhee said, AMERICAN Ductile Iron pipe had the advantages of being competitively priced and readily available, and there was a large number of contractors familiar with its installation. In the long run, "There was substantial room to increase the capacity of the pipeline due to the inherent higher pressure rating, and a very long expected service life," he said. Over the long haul, AMERICAN Ductile Iron pipe also offered significant cost savings in the form of lower pumping costs. More water can be pumped through ductile iron pipe than HDPE pipe of the same nominal outside diameter. For example, the 36-inch ductile iron water line running from the Cumberland River to Guthrie has a flow area approximately 7 percent greater than pipe with dimensions associated with the same nominal diameter. Over the life of the pipeline, that larger flow area will result in substantially less pumping costs. A key — and unique — aspect of the construction activities was the participation of Nicholasville, Kentucky-based R.J. Corman Railroad Company, which granted permission for new pipelines to be installed along the company's rail line rights of way in the area. The LTRWC had first considered Kentucky's Green River as the project's water source, but the Cumberland was eventually chosen because of the access to R.J. Corman's rail rights of way between Clarksville, Guthrie, and Russellville. The railroad's willingness to provide that access drastically reduced the time and effort that otherwise would have been necessary to plan for and execute pipeline construction. "When we, collectively, looked at the most logical and economic network for the new water distribution system, the rail system was a natural fit with its arteries feeding the counties' population centers," said R.J. Corman spokesperson Fred Mudge. "Using the controlled easement simplified the commission's work rather than requiring the multiple efforts of a cross-country approach. And having the water line along our route provides economic growth opportunities for additional rail customers." In addition to providing ideal pipeline routes, using the railroad rights of way allowed AMERICAN to deliver materials via rail straight to the installation sites. "AMERICAN's ability to deliver by rail and off-load at the job site made this supplier unique and greatly helped expedite the work," LTRWC's Walton said. While the railroad option saved both time and money in design and construction, it also meant the pipe used had to be exceptionally durable to withstand the vibrations from the nearby rail traffic. Several major road crossings created additional concerns about the structural loading of the pipe. Over time, the vibrations from both the railroad and road traffic can jar the pipe and cause it to break and leak, something that would be especially dangerous near crowded intersections. "The railroad was receptive to providing access to the right-of-way network with the proviso that we were intimately involved with the design and safety criteria to ensure the long-term viability of our rail system and the integrity of the water line," Mudge said. "We took comfort in AMERICAN's performance reputation and also took comfort in the utilization of ductile iron pipe rather than HDPE because of its loading capabilities and life-cycle cost. "At the railroad's request, the water lines have been laid at the extremities of our right of way, which in most cases is some 50 feet from the center line of the rail line," he said. "Where the water line must cross our rail line, the commission's engineers have agreed to encase the primary line to provide additional security." The strength of AMERICAN Flex- Lok® Ductile Iron pipe was perfectly suited for an unusually tough crossing of the Red River. The river crossing was originally designed as a horizontal directional bore using HDPE pipe, but using AMERICAN Flex-Lok® resulted in cost savings approaching $1 million. "By using AMERICAN Flex-Lok® joint pipe in lieu of the HDPE horizontal directional bore, we were able to decrease the length of the river crossing from 1,000 feet to 340 feet," said John Sunderman, vice president of the Utilities Division of Peters Contracting in Owensboro, Kentucky. "This resulted in a savings of approximately $750,000 to the owner." Peters Contracting, AMERICAN, and Corman worked together closely to develop plans for laying the 36-inch line close to a 104-year-old railroad bridge where there was a limited right of way. "This was an unusually difficult river crossing because of the close proximity of the railroad bridge to the proposed crossing and a sheer rock ledge approximately 60 feet high that we removed by blasting," Sunderman said. "A customized dredge was used for an open cut excavation in the river, and the 36-inch AMERICAN Flex-Lok® pipe was assembled on top of the ground and then pulled across the river. Water was pumped into the line to sink it into place. "R.J. Corman provided side dump railroad cars for loading and unloading spoil where the right of way was too narrow for placing spoil adjacent to our excavation. And by AMERICAN shipping pipe by rail, the pipe was delivered directly to the site and unloaded by R.J. Corman using a rail-mounted crane," Sunderman said. Given the number of entities involved in the LTRWC projects, along with the number of governments represented, cooperation among the various parties was critical. R.J. Corman's willingness to provide access to its rights of way was a good example. So was AMERICAN's commitment to doing things right the first time, from planning to on-time deliveries. "One very important issue to me was the interest shown in the project by the folks at AMERICAN," said McGhee. "Their salespeople and others spent a lot of time with us during the design phase of the project helping to avoid problems and dealing with some design issues that were unique to this project. That support has continued through the construction phase. I appreciate the commitment to service that AMERICAN has demonstrated." Said Sunderman: "We've been using AMERICAN pipe for more than 30 years. On this job their sales engineer and customer service representative both did a great job providing the service and support necessary for a successful project. These projects' successes were a result of good design and a working relationship with McGhee Engineering, the Logan/ Todd Regional Water Commission, R.J. Corman, AMERICAN, and Peters Contracting. It was truly a team effort." Adds Mudge: "AMERICAN's sales and engineering group has worked quite well and very closely with the railroad engineers to respond to the unique rail requirements for a water line of this dimension being located in this proximity." The project was funded largely through a $48 million loan from the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service. Other funding sources were: Kentucky Infrastructure Authority DWSRF loans, Kentucky 1998 State Budget Surplus Grant, 2000 Kentucky State Budget, Governor's 2020 Fund and Congressional Line Item Grants administered through the Environmental Protection Agency. The regional planning concept, where small municipalities and government bodies come together for the mutual benefit of all, is considered the wave of the future in providing greater quality and quantities of water to rural areas, especially in Kentucky. And LTRWC has been a pathfinder in that regard. "LTRWC is recognized for its foresight in planning for long-range needs of its local areas, giving 10 years of effort to the project before major funding was obtained," LTRWC's Walton said. "LTRWC is recognized statewide and in the nation's capital as an exemplary project that takes a regional approach to solving local problems. There were several exemplary aspects to building these new facilities, and I must say that the products and service provided by AMERICAN took a back seat to none."

A load of AMERICAN 36-inch pipe is carried across a bridge 60 feet above the Red River at the site of an important river crossing. "We took comfort in AMERICAN's performance reputation and also took comfort in the utilization of ductile iron pipe rather than HDPE because of its loading capabilities and life-cycle cost," said R.J. Corman spokesperson Fred Mudge. PHOTO COURTESY OF PETERS CONTRACTING Rock, a steep grade, and close proximity to a railroad bridge were all factors on the approach to the Red River. The owner chose AMERICAN 36-inch Ductile Iron pipe for the project after initially considering another material. By crossing the river with AMERICAN Flex-Lok® pipe instead of HDPE in a horizontal directional bore, the length of the river crossing was decreased from 1,000 feet to 340 feet, saving the owner $750,000. PHOTO COURTESY OF PETERS CONTRACTING The R.J. Corman Railroad played more than one important role in the Logan/Todd Regional Water Commission projects. The railroad allowed AMERICAN 36- and 24-inch Ductile Iron pipe to be laid along its rights of way, and the railroad's presence in the area allowed the pipe to be delivered by rail straight to the construction site. R.J. Corman, along with the owner, felt comfortable running water lines close to rail lines because of the strength and durability of AMERICAN's pipe. PHOTO COURTESY OF PETERS CONTRACTING

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