‘World’s largest’ gate valve created as part of $2bn Texas water project

What is believed to be the world’s largest water gate valve has been created in Texas, USA.

Blackhall Engineering, based in West Yorkshire, UK, designed the impressive valve. It is the first of six 40 ft valves weighing 100 tonnes, the same weight as 10 double decker buses. 

The gate valve is part of a project to drastically increase the water supply in and around Dallas, Texas. A rapidly growing population means more than 13 million Dallas residents are likely to need a water supply by 2060 – more than double the number supplied by the authorities today.

In response, the $2 billion (EUR1.85 billion) Integrated Pipeline Project (IPL) has been launched to enable water companies to increase the water supply by an impressive 350 million gallons (1.59 billion litres) per day, meeting the area’s water supply needs in the long term.

The first £1m valve, which has a century long lifespan, has been installed, while the second is in the casting process. A representative from the company told the Brighouse Echo: “When the world’s most impressive pipeline scheme asks for 100-year asset life valves, you listen.”

Once completed, the Integrated Pipeline Project will see 150 metres of pipeline running from multiple lakes, as well as three lake pump stations and three booster pump stations.

The role of Blackhall in the project is an important one, regulating the water in the largest and longest segments of the pipeline. Five further pipelines are in production, designed in the UK and manufactured in the USA.