All around us there pipes that carry water to our places of residence and to commercial establishments. We don’t really notice these pipes because most of them run underneath the ground and only have certain pieces to them that come out of the ground. What are some of these components that are visible to us and that can be worked with while not having to dig up the ground? Most of us have probably heard about the water company coming to “read the meter” or have even seen them going around the neighborhood to get this reading. This is one part of the underground are that can be seen. Usually these meters are contained underneath a cast iron lid someone in the yard or on the sidewalk. When the lid is taken off, there is a gauge that can be read, measuring the water use of a home or business.
Another component that can be seen is one that can be pretty obvious, especially if you are trying to find a parking space downtown or around an arena where a sporting event is happening (just to name a couple of examples). If you park in front of it, you will get a ticket or your car will get towed; I’m talking about a fire hydrant. If you aren’t a fire fighter or a construction worker, you most likely will never use a fire hydrant, which is one of the reasons the average person doesn’t pay much attention to them, other than to avoid getting a tow or a ticket.
A fire hydrant can be useless unless there is a way of transporting the water out of it to the place where it needs to be (such as a building that is on fire or an empty dirt lot that needs the dirt to be softened with water). A fire hose is the means that the water will be able to be delivered from the hydrant to the place where it needs to be. Depending on what the hose will be used for will determine what type of hose will be used. There are different thicknesses and different lengths of hose available to be purchased. That sums up most of the things that are above the ground, but what about the underground parts?
Some may wonder, if the pipe and other pieces are underground, how can someone know where they are buried so that they can dig up the ground for other projects? This is where a special type of wire comes in, called tracer wire. When the pipe is first put into the ground, the tracer wire is put into the ground with it, for the entire length of the water line. With the help of a special tool, this wire can be detected, helping those who need to dig to be able to avoid hitting the pipe as they dig. This helps avoid huge water leaks and keeps the cost of projects down. For more specifics on these and other products, visit: https://www.plumbersstock.com/category/34/water-works/
