City of St. Zotique | St. Zotique, QC

After having installed a MUNICIPEX water service line for a three-story condominium in St. Zotique, Quebec, the city found a problem with the curb valve that required them to isolate the water main.

With traditional copper service line, the option to freeze for shutting down water service would potentially cost the city $1,500, and disrupt service to more than 750 customers. 

Luc Prévost, director of technical services for the city of St. Zotique called REHAU’s Montreal sales office to ask if the line could be shut down by freezing the MUNICIPEX pipe. Angelo Tasillo, P. Eng, pipe product manager, confirmed that it was technically possible to freeze MUNICIPEX, but offered another solution.

Tasillo recommended using REHAU’s "squeeze-off" procedure to temporarily stop the water flow. “The high strength and flexibility of PEXa pipe allows it to withstand temporary deformation without permanent damage,” explains Tasillo. “Squeezing the pipe flat, using a specialized tool designed for PE gas pipes, would stop the water flow. The valve could then be removed and reinstalled. It would be a simple process, backed by REHAU.”

The city and work crew agreed to try the new method. Tasillo joined the work crew in the trench. “I was confident in my suggestion to use the procedure and wanted to demonstrate that to the crew first-hand,” said Tasillo. “The repair went very well.”

After the curb valve was repaired, the squeeze-off tool was opened carefully and the water started to flow while the pipe returned to its original round shape. The job was completed in 20 minutes, at zero cost to the City of St. Zotique and with no disruption to the customers.

“The squeeze-off technique allowed us to save time and money,” stated Prévost. “It is very quick and poses no danger to the pipe structure, which returned to 95 percent of its original shape minutes after the intervention."