Racine, Wis. Case Study

Racine Water Utility serves approximately half the population of the City of Racine, Wis. and the surrounding communities within the area.

Maintenance was required oמ three isolation water valves that controlled three mains within the main pit. This included installing new piping to new valves located outside the pit, which required the water supply to be shut off. Racine’s construction department supervisor Mark Carr, aimed to minimize downtime and reduced the impact on customers. Carr has been with the company since 1998 and held the position of supervisor since 2011. Carr’s team cut out the aged cast iron pipe and installed the new valve and ductile iron pipe (32″ OD) with the couplings (cast iron 32.74″ OD) at either end. It took installers approximately four hours, from water shut-off to reconnection, to replace the pipe.

Racine Water Utility installed two 30-inch HYMAX couplings sourced from Hymax USA to connect each end of the ductile iron replacement pipe (32″ OD) to cast iron pipes (32.74 OD) on either side.

Fast, Easy Installation

Carr determined that the HYMAX coupling was best suited for this project for two main reasons. The ease of installation allowed his team to minimize service downtime. Carr estimated that, with only 4 bolts to tighten, the team saved about three hours of downtime. Other products may have up to 20 to 30 bolts. The coupling provided by Hymax is in one piece, simplifying the installation procedure. Other solutions on the market may have as many as five pieces. The well-engineered design allowed for fast and easy installation, Carr’s team saved time and money and the project was less risky.

Image shows using two 30” HYMAX couplings to connect each end of the ductile iron replacement pipe (32.00 OD) to cast iron pipe (32.74 OD) on either side.

Reliability

Carr is a veteran with 18 years of experience repairing water pipes, he knows that using quality couplings serves his clients best in the long-term because of their reliability and strong performance. “The quality of our service is directly related to the quality of the equipment that we use,” he said. “Now that I have found a coupling this reliable, I am going to stick with it.”

Conclusions

Carr’s choice of a coupling with fewer bolts meant that the repair was completed quickly with minimal downtime for Racine customers. By choosing a reliable coupling, with a strong track record, Racine Water Utility has ensured long-term dependability for their customers.