A local business off of 4th Ave in Park Slope, Brooklyn recently had to replace their curb valve. The city was now requiring this business to have a backflow prevention device (BPD) installed but the OS&Y valve was no longer functioning to turn the water off. The internal plumber attempted to close the water at the curb valve for the new OS&Y valve and BPD installation when the curb valve continued to spin.
The existing pipe was made of ductile iron which will allow for a new curb valve to be installed. If the existing piping was galvanized or lead, there would have been no option but to replace the entire water main from the roadway to inside the building as it is illegal to make a repair on materials of this type.
Leaking wet connection
After Harris Water obtained all of the necessary DEP and DOT permits, we proceeded to open the roadway where the city main was located, the buildings connection to the city main had to be turned off for the new curb valve installation. As the Harris field crew began to excavate, they noticed that the soil was becoming more damp the deeper they dug in the roadway. By the time they reached the wet connection valve they had noticed that the valve was leaking and could not be repaired. The valve was in such condition that valve, nuts and bolts were completely corroded and deteriorated; the wet connection valve now had to be replaced.
Harris now contacted the DEP for an emergency shut-down of the city water main for the entire block, this was the only way to safely remove the existing wet connection and install the new one. The DEP had scheduled the “shut down” for the very next morning and notified the surrounding neighbors that the water would be off for approximately 3 hours. The Harris field crew was on-site early the next morning to prepare the roadway and city main for the new installation. The DEP had the water main turned off within 20 min before Harris could remove the existing valve and install the new, the entire process was completed within two hours.
Curb valve installation
The existing Curb valve was now removed for the installation of a new and functional curb valve. The DEP inspections division arrived on the job site and passed inspection for the new curb valve. The new wet connection was now turned on in the roadway before the holes were backfilled and compacted for final restoration to take place the very next day.
The internal plumber could now close the curb valve, install a new OS&Y valve and bring the building up to code with the newly required backflow prevention device
