3 Tonne Valve Replacement & Installation

Coppermills reservoir network is situated in the Lee Valley Special Protection Area, providing nesting grounds and shelter for a number of endemic and migratory bird species. It feeds into Coppermills Water Treatment Works in Walthamstow, a major supplier of water to the London area, providing approximately 680 million litres of water a day.

As an established diving contractor with highly skilled, specialised, and dedicated team members, our reactivity, wide knowledge base, and adaptability made us the perfect team to support our clients needs.

The objective was to replace a caste-iron gate valve at the end of its  lifespan, with a new stainless steel powder-coated gate valve on the interior of the reservoir inlet tower, as well as the installation of a penstock valve on the exterior of the tower.

The project comprised a full diving and confined space package. This required the fabrication of an 8m x 8m 2-tonne bespoke A-frame spanning the reservoir tower; built and situated on a pontoon platform. Divers worked tirelessly to first survey, clean a working area, and burn away the extruding caste-iron pipe from the exterior of the tower. The new penstock was successfully installed and commissioned, providing a means of isolating the interior of the tower from the reservoir.

This primary isolation allowed our team to make a high-risk confined space entry into the reservoir tower to remove the old valve. A flange adapter and valve were installed and MMP worked in conjunction with the valve manufacturers to build and install a new off-set spindle control arm to the surface, resulting in a successful commissioning.

These works have increased the lifespan of the reservoir as a water supply, and have provided the client with newly-gained independence in their ability to double-isolate the reservoir; allowing manned-entry into the inlet tunnels for routine maintenance and cleaning. The success of this project additionally resulted in MMP designing, fabricating, and installing new GSM flooring for easier access to the tower interior.

Services:

·       Commercial Diving.

·       High-risk Confined Space Entry.

·       Confined Space Rescue Team.

·       Provision of floating pontoon platform.

·       Design/Fabrication of bespoke 8m x 8m 2-tonne A-frame.

·       Broco burning of existing extruding pipe mouth.

·       Underwater installation of penstock gate valve and control spindle on exterior of reservoir tower.

·       Installation of flange adapter. 

·       Installation of new stainless steel powder-coated gate valve.