Why One of Colombia’s Largest Wastewater Plants Trusts Rubber Check Valves

The paper highlights the significance of rubber duckbill check valves in safeguarding a prominent wastewater treatment facility in Colombia. The facility, located in southern Medellín, serves as a vital component of the region's wastewater management, being the largest treatment plant in the Aburrá Valley, home to nearly 4 million residents.

The paper outlines how a new 84-inch-wide duckbill check valve was urgently required to replace an aging valve that protected an outfall pipe situated only a few feet above the bottom of the Medellín River. Proco Products, collaborating with their Colombian partner ABC Ingeniería, responded to this need by supplying a ProFlex™ Style 711 Flanged Sloped Bottom Check Valve, ensuring continued protection of the facility and the Medellín River. The new valve incorporates an advanced Neoprene elastomer material that improves resistance to wear and tear, enabling a lifespan up to 50 years. The ProFlex™ Style 711 duckbill check valve operates autonomously, opening with minimal water flow and shutting tightly to withstand powerful river currents, preventing unwanted openings.

The confined vault housing the outfall as well as its proximity to the Medellín River necessitated a custom-designed replacement valve. Challenges included ensuring collapsibility for installation while maintaining rigidity to withstand turbulent conditions. Proco Products and ABC Ingeniería collaborated with facility personnel to produce the ProFlex™ Style 711 valve, featuring a low-sloping floor for low-clearance settings, split retaining rings for flexible installation, and internal weights to enhance resistance against external pressures that could otherwise cause inversion. The entire procurement process was completed in less than 8 months, with installation carried out efficiently in a single day. ProFlex™ Style 711 check valves, available in various sizes and elastomeric materials, offer passive-flow operation driven solely by inlet and back pressures, requiring no maintenance or external power.

DOWNLOAD THE WHITE PAPER

About Proco Products, Inc.

Proco Products, Inc. is the global leader in the design and supply of expansion joints for piping/ducting systems. For over 35 years, Proco has prided themselves on offering the most complete line of products to suit a variety of applications. Some of these products include rubber and molded PTFE expansion joints, and braided flexible hose assemblies.