business & market news
20
Tube ProducTs InTernaTIonal January 2012
Contract extension to continue water
network improvements
Wachs Water Services, a provider of
solutions for the management of ageing
water infrastructure in North America,
has been awarded a $9.4mn contract
extension to continue supporting the
City of Atlanta, Georgia in its efforts to
assess, test and survey thousands of
valves and fire hydrants throughout its
water network.
One of the largest water infrastructure
projects of its kind in the USA, the
company is helping to improve and
rehabilitate vital water distribution
system assets and control points for
the city as part of a joint venture with
Brindley Pieters and Associates.
The on-going programme has
accomplished considerable water
system improvements to date,
including achieving a high degree
of water main valve operability that
the company says has set industry
standards for large urban cities.
“Wachs Water Services is proud
to contribute to Atlanta’s efforts to
ensure a reliable and sustainable water
infrastructure to serve their citizens
and businesses,” said company
president Cliff Wilson.
“Managing an ageing water network
requires a results-driven approach
that achieves both immediate
system improvements and long-term
sustainability. Every dollar that has
been invested into this programme
has delivered tangible results that
improve system operability and control
on a daily basis.” The programme in
Atlanta is focused on improving water
main valve and fire hydrant operability,
enabling the utility to better respond
to water main breaks, achieve a high
level of operational control of the
water network, and pinpoint repair and
replacement of water distribution assets
more effectively. Working closely with
the Atlanta Department of Watershed
Management, services provided by the
joint venture include asset location,
operational condition assessment, and
GPS location mapping of critical water
assets.
Wachs Water services
– USA
Joint venture private water pipeline
Aqua America Inc and Penn Virginia
Resource Partners (PVR) have
announced that certain of their operating
subsidiaries have formed a joint venture,
Aqua-PVR Water Services, LLC, to
construct and operate a private pipeline
system to supply fresh water to natural
gas producers drilling in the Marcellus
Shale in north-central Pennsylvania,
USA. The 12" diameter steel pipeline
will largely parallel the trunkline of PVR’s
gathering system in Lycoming County
and will share PVR’s existing rights of
way.
PVR is constructing the fresh water
pipeline and handling negotiation
of water pipeline capacity contracts
with producers. Aqua will operate the
system when completed and handle
water intake supply arrangements.
Aqua and PVR each anticipate investing
approximately $12mn for construction
of the first segment of the project.
The joint venture has entered into an
agreement with Range Resources –
Appalachia, a wholly owned subsidiary
of Range Resources Corporation, to
supply fresh water to three of Range’s
water impoundments, and negotiations
with other area producers for supply
agreements are on-going.
The joint venture commenced
construction of the fresh water pipeline
in the latter part of 2011, and limited
water delivery was expected before
year-end. The entire 18-mile long first
segment of the system is anticipated
to be fully completed and begin regular
operation during the first quarter of
2012.
William H Shea, Jr, CEO of PVR, said,
“We are very excited to join with Aqua
America in building a private water
pipeline to supply Marcellus producers.
We are also pleased to welcome Range
Resources as an anchor customer on
the pipeline. We believe this project
is a ‘win-win’ solution that offers
tangible benefits to both the contracting
producers and the local communities
in which we operate. The pipeline will
provide contracting producers with a
more reliable fresh water source at a
lower delivered cost. By reducing the
number of trucks operating on area
highways, area residents will benefit
from reduced traffic congestion, noise
and delays.”
Nicholas DeBenedictis, chairman
and CEO of Aqua, said, “Marcellus
Shale offers a critical and challenging
opportunity for the State of
Pennsylvania. Critical because the
energy needs of the country must
be developed domestically and
Pennsylvania can be that provider.
Challenging because it must be done
in a manner that protects and manages
our most precious resource, water. This
project is the first that prudently enables
the development of the Marcellus while
helping to protect our water sheds
and manage our supplies. Pumping
water through pipe, as opposed to
trucking water, reduces road traffic and
damage that can result in runoff that
can negatively impact streams in this
sensitive part of the state. Managing
the supply from confirmed reliable
sources reduces the potential for over
withdrawal from those same streams.”
aqua america
– USA
Penn Virginia resource Partners, lP
– USA
