For the last couple of years, PennWell Corporation has been using the internet to host a “Virtual H2O Conference” each spring and fall. Attendees from the water and wastewater industries can listen to presentations (which earn PDHs) from the comfort of their own offices. This year, the first Virtual H2O Conference is on Feb 21, 2012. It’s free to attend. Click here for a list of 2012 presentations.

Last September, PICA participated in this conference, presenting on “Trends in Actual Wall Thickness for Cast & Ductile Iron Water Mains“. This paper showed the results from over 175km of pipeline (37,000+ pipes!). The presentation, which includes an audio narration, can be accessed by clicking the above link.

So if you wish to attend an industry event but don’t have time to travel to one, this is an interesting alternative.

Dear customer and friends,

As the holiday season approaches, I personally want to take a moment to thank you for your continued patronage and to extend to you my very best wishes on behalf of the entire Russell NDE and PICA teams, for a healthy and prosperous New Year.

Sincerely,

Dave Russell
President

Recent examples include:

• Russell will provide one of its “High Lift-Off” RFT tools to inspect three 8-in, schedule 80 pipelines in Thailand. The lines have a cement mortar liner that is impossible for Dacon tools to penetrate. The lines will be cleaned by Dacon, who will also run the sizing pigs through the lines in preparation for the Russell tool.
• Dacon will inspect a 24-in HDPE line located in New Caledonia for PICA. PICA’s tools can only inspect ferromagnetic lines (cast iron, ductile iron and steel), but the Dacon tool can inspect any material, except  HDPE liner in a steel pipe. In that case, the Dacon tool would be used to precisely measure the thickness of the liner and the Russell or PICA tool would be used to inspect the steel pipe. 

The ability for PICA, Russell and Dacon to share their tools and provide the best solution for individual applications in the water, waste water, mining, slurry and oil, and gas pipeline industries provides a more extensive solution set for our customers.

Asset management is a difficult job. Mains are unpredictable and many operators feel they lack the tools (and money) to effectively battle these breaks. At PICA, we are working hard to develop economical Direct Condition Assessment tools that empower decision makers. More effective asset management is possible.

Check out our website or call us to learn more.

While no one welcomes the pipeline breaks (except perhaps construction foremen!), there is a silver lining in that it has helped nudge the industry into an increasingly more proactive approach to their assets. Our sales team has spent much of the summer on the road, meeting with clients at conferences and in their offices and it’s clear that these stewards of the public’s wastewater and drinking water are actively educating themselves on the tools available to them.

PICA has received much positive feedback and that has materialized into a fall and winter for 2011 that will be very busy for our inspection teams and tools. At the same time, we’ve signed a strategic alliance with Wachs Water Services that will provide the water industry with a great one-two punch.

If you would like more information about our Direct Condition Assessment solutions or how the PICA/Wachs team can save you some cash and prevent emergency repair headaches, don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to working with you during the winter months to create a more peaceful summer.

Click here to read – in two languages – how See Snake’s RFT technology is performing Direct Condition Assessment of pipelines that are considered unpiggable by MFL standards.

The thing we like about ASCE conferences is that they are “right sized” and not too long. The exhibition had a lunch sandwich buffet and breakfast buffet that allowed conference attendees to look over innovations in technology while enjoying some good food.

We also took the opportunity to announce and strengthen our new strategic alliance with Wachs Water Services – many old and new customers asked us about that alliance and expressed their encouragement. It’s good to see that everyone is as excited about it as we are.

This year, PICA sponsored a hole in the golf tournament and U.S. Manager, Chris Garrett (a fair golfer) tried his hand at it too. Chris represented us at the booth along with Vincent Chen (Sales Manager for China, Asia and the west coast of Canada/USA) and me, Dave Russell (company prez). Vincent (left) and Chris(right) are shown in the photo below.

Best regards,
Dave Russell

PICA offers a variety of direct condition assessment techniques for metallic pipelines, specializing in determining actual wall thickness using a patented electromagnetic technique.

Wachs Water Services is the leading provider of water distribution system solutions, combining condition assessment and rehabilitation.

Please read our press release for more information. We are looking forward to serving you better.

If you left your business card with either Ed Brain or Chris Garrett at the booth, please look for an email from them in the coming week.

PICA is excited to build upon all of the relationships established at the conference. If you have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to contact PICA directly. Lots of great information can also be found by surfing our website too.

Be sure to keep your eye out for PICA at the ASCE Pipelines conference July 23-27 in Seattle, Washington. We hope to see you there!

The life extension of water and wastewater pipelines is a very practical way to make the most effective use of tight maintenance budgets. Although in-line technologies can be invasive (for example, potable mains must be thoroughly flushed and shock-chlorinated after the inspection), this is a small price to pay for the value derived by using them. Technologies like PICA’s HydraSnake and the Wachs JD-7 tools that enter potable water mains offer value to the client as excavation and cutting of the pipe is not required. In addition, removal of thick scale and coatings is not needed for these particular tools.

It may seem that these consolidations give asset managers fewer companies to choose from, however the technologies that they can now bring to the table are varied – each having its own unique strengths – and that is good news for any asset manager.

Kind regards,
Dave Russell