| Upon completion in December 1999, the Greenville, South Carolina, Water System’s Table Rock and North Saluda Filtration Plant will be the largest of its type in the United States. Its unique feature will be the use of dissolved air flotation, instead of sedimentation, for removing coagulants prior to filtration.
With a capacity of 75 MGD, the $90 million plant will provide filtration for water from two pristine watersheds - Table Rock and North Saluda. Both watersheds are fully owned and protected by the Greenville Water System. They have provided high-quality, unfiltered water to the Greenville area for 70 and 40 years, respectively, yet the new plant is needed to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Surface Water Treatment Rule. "We chose to use dissolved air flotation because that process is best applied to high-quality mountain water that is low in turbidity with occasional bouts of algae," said Lynn Stovall, general manager of the Greenville Water System. "You couldn’t describe our water source any better than that," Stovall said. "On some occasions in some years we have had an algae bloom, and it’s the type of algae that clogs filters. Dissolved air flotation does a much better job of removing that type of algae, so that’s what we chose. Also, based on literature we’ve seen and consultations we’ve had, we thought this system would place us in a better position to meet future regulations." Prospective bidders were required to meet strict pre-qualification criteria before receiving a set of project plans and specifications. All parties, including contractor Beers Construction of Atlanta and design engineer Black & Veatch in Greenville, are now working in a partnership designed to maximize quality, control cost, maintain work schedules, and promote safety. Some 2,000 tons of 4-inch through 60-inch Fastite ® , Lok-Ring ® , Flex-Ring ® , and flanged pipe and fittings are being installed during the plant’s construction. Ed Miles, project manager for Beers Construction, said that the extensive use of AMERICAN restrained joint pipe and fittings "necessitated very accurate drawings and fabrication to avoid expensive and timely fittings problems in the field. "Close coordination of engineering between Beers and AMERICAN as well as ease of installation provided by AMERICAN’s Fastite ® , Lok-Ring ® , and Flex-Ring ® design helped the installation of a very difficult pipe design to progress smoothly," Miles said. Miles also gave AMERICAN’s Customer Service Department its due. "AMERICAN’s overall service has been excellent," he said. "Cathy Whitten has always addressed any difficulties of ours promptly and thoroughly. Also, because restrained joints were called for on all yard pipe, it was necessary to hold closure pieces until exact as-built dimensions could be obtained. AMERICAN was able to turn the ‘hold’ pieces around within one week."
|
The $90-million Table Rock and North Saluda Water Treatment Plant project required some 2,000 tons of AMERICAN Ductile Iron pipe, some of which is shown here ready for installation. |
Close coordination of engineering between contractor Beers Construction and AMERICAN and the ease of installation of AMERICAN piping helped the installation of a very difficult pipe design to progress smoothly, according to Beers’ Project Manager Ed Miles. |
| Owner: | Greenville, South Carolina, Water System |
| Project: | Table Rock and North Saluda Water Treatment Plant |
| Engineer: | Black & Veatch, Greenville, South Carolina |
| Contractor: | Beers Construction, Atlanta, Georgia |
| Material: | 2,000 tons of 4"- 60" Fastite ® , Lok-Ring ® , Flex-Ring ® , and flanged pipe and fittings |
| Sales Engineers: | Charles T. Bartholomew, John B. Walsh |
| Customer Service Representative: | Cathy Whitten |
AMERICAN DUCTILE IRON PIPE TO THE RESCUE
| Eight was enough.
That’s how many times a 48-inch prestressed concrete cylinder line ruptured during the past six years, prompting the Greenville Water System to replace it with 6,040 feet of AMERICAN 48-inch Fastite ® , 1,320 feet of 48-inch Lok-Ring ® Ductile Iron pipe, and various fittings. The $4.5 million project was completed last August. Routing of the large main through narrow urban streets made construction difficult, according to the Greenville Water System’s Lynn Stovall. Ductile iron was the only material bid on the project, whose design included three options: 1) using the existing pccp as a conduit and inserting a 36-inch ductile iron line inside 2) removing the existing 48-inch pipe and replacing it with a 36-inch ductile iron line or 3) removing the existing line and replacing it with a 48-inch ductile iron line. "The bid price for the third alternative, although more than the other two, was chosen by the owner because of better flow characteristics at a reasonable cost," Stovall said. Mike Rast, a project supervisor with contractor W.L. Hailey & Company of Nashville, Tennessee, notes that AMERICAN’s service on the job matched the quality of its products. "Their deliveries were always on time," Rast said. "We could plan our work and work our plan around them. We needed two 48-inch, 45-degree bends at the end of the job that weren’t planned for. AMERICAN made these bends in record time, and this allowed us to finish the job on time." |
The flexibility of AMERICAN Ductile Iron pipe and fittings eased the burden of tight installations in urban areas during the water line replacement job. |
The line replacement project utilized various 48-inch fittings. Shown here is a fitting with a Lok-Ring ® bell and Lok-Ring ® end, which provided economy and adaptability. |
| Owner: | Greenville, South Carolina, Water System |
| Project: | PCCP Water Line Replacement |
| Engineer: | Black & Veatch, Greenville, South Carolina |
| Contractor: | W.L. Hailey & Company, Nashville, Tennessee |
| Material: | 6,040 feet of 48" Fastite ® , 1,320 feet of 48" Lok-Ring ® , and various 48" fittings |
| Sales Engineers: | Charles T. Bartholomew, John B. Walsh |
| Customer Service Representative: | Marty Sanford |
| Drafters: | Robert Warr, Dennis Wilson |
© 1998 American Cast Iron Pipe Co.
