The water company’s move was the right one: they called PlugCo
The National Hong Kong Water Company had a big problem: a 1000mm (40” ⌀) main distribution pipe with a nominal working pressure of 16 bar (240psi) had broken and thousands of litres of expensive treated water were being lost. An important roadway was soon flooded and closed to traffic. Many customers had lost their supply of potable water – more annoyingly, no one could reliably forecast the schedule for repairs to be completed and the water supply returned to service.
PlugCo – The National Hong Kong Water Company
Repair crews were quickly on the job but unfortunately, the high backpressure – about 1.5 bar (over 20 psi or 15 feet water head) – added a significant complication. Crews had to stop the water flow before repairs began, however, the available equipment was not up to the task. Two attempts were made to stop the flow but both attempts failed. Costs of the pipe break began to add up quickly: the continued loss of high-quality treated water, repair crew labour and equipment costs, ongoing road closures and, for the National Hong Kong Water Company, a significant loss of valuable customer confidence and satisfaction.
The water company’s next move was the right one: they called PlugCo – Turkey’s largest manufacturer of pipe plugs with over 30 years of experience in the industry. Within three days, PlugCo had designed, built and delivered a special-order plug for its new customer. The plug would seal a 1000mm pipe when inflated to 3 bar and most importantly, would hold against the 1.5 bar back pressure. Once crews installed the plug, repairs were quickly completed and water began to flow again. Problem solved!
The next time you are faced with a special pipe sealing problem, give PlugCo a call. Their specialists will be pleased to help you find a solution.
