Year 25thYear - Equipment Review Magazine

25th
Ye a r
1990 - 2015
Celebrating 25 years in Alberta, and more than a century of
national expansion and success. EMCO Waterworks
is Canada’s largest waterworks distributor.
“The good old days of EMCO are tomorrow!”
EMCO Waterworks - Alberta
An introduction by David Place, Waterworks Regional Manager - Western Canada
“The good old days of EMCO are tomorrow!”
T
hese are the words of EMCO Corporation’s President, Rick Fantham. The belief in a future of growth
and success is the driving force of every EMCO teammate; and our proud history testifies to the
fact that hard work, service and innovation can only lead to a successful outcome. This Supplement
describes our history, our achievements and our industry leading suppliers and manufacturers who ensure
EMCO’s status as the leader in the waterworks distributing sector continues into the future.
In Alberta, EMCO Waterworks offers the power of dealing with a national company while still retaining
the feel of dealing with a small, privately held company. EMCO Waterworks Division operates a network
of over 50 profit centres Coast to Coast, and its Alberta managers are empowered to act like owners to
partner with vendors of their choice to offer their customers the best solution for the local marketplace.
At the same time, by leveraging its national purchasing power more efficiently, EMCO can operate more
competitively than smaller regional competitors, and more efficiently than centralized large competitors.
One of its key business principles is to treat the profit centre as the heart of the business. As a result,
EMCO operates with a very flat organizational structure which allows for quick decision making at a local
level - all supported as effectively and efficiently as possible by the National Support Centre team. Supply
partners manufacture only the highest quality products, and combined with its high level of customer
service, EMCO helps to ensure customers complete their projects on time and on budget.
EW 3
From your partners
in waterworks at
Congratulations
on 25 YEARS
of excellence!
EMCO Congrats2.indd 1
10/28/2015 3:49:10 PM
The Beginning of an “Empire”*
The “Empire” (EMCO) London Building 1920’s
When the municipal waterworks went out for tender in
1878, it was an opportunity for the small shop to think
big. “Stevens, Turner, and Burns” was awarded the
contract by the London Public Utilities Commission
for the reservoir, hydrants, valves, pipes, and pipe
laying. In 1887 Tom Stevens’ oldest son, John,
moved to Winnipeg and established The John Stevens
Company, which sold the mobile steam engines and
plumbing supplies in western Canada that his father’s
company manufactured in London, Ontario. When the
operations of Stevens, Turner and Burns ceased in
1894, Tom Stevens began to build a new “Empire”.
The Little Company that Grew... The Empire
Manufacturing Company Limited was incorporated in
1906. Owned by Tom Stevens, J.R. Minhinnick and
George Trudell, it was a foundry and machine shop,
and success came rapidly.
In September of that year, Tom Stevens received
approval to purchase land several miles east of
London. At the same time, approval was given for
the construction of a factory and warehouse. This
site is now absorbed into the City of London and is
now 1108 Dundas Street, where the National Support
Centre remains to this day.
Charles Henry Ivey, an important figure in EMCO’s history,
joined the company and rapidly made a significant
contribution with his natural ability to analyze production
problems and devise methods to manufacture quality
products with the fewest number of operations. Empire’s
production line moved steadily along. Tom Stevens
knew he had to supply the tradesmen with a more
complete line if he was going to remain competitive. He
was working on plans for making this happen when war
broke out in Europe in 1914.
Driving New Opportunities... The automobile was
becoming more and more popular after the Great
War. Gasoline ran by gravity through a rubber hose
into the car’s fuel tank, and this represented a new
opportunity for The Empire Brass Manufacturing
Company.
Empire established a connection with the A.W. Wheaton
Company of Union, New Jersey. Wheaton produced
brass components for gasoline pumps and nozzles.
Empire saw the vast potential of the automobile boom
in Canada and In 1927 an agreement was signed
with Wheaton in New Jersey that had two significant
effects upon Empire Brass in London, Canada. First,
Empire Brass had its interests broadened beyond its
own country. Secondly, the association introduced
the company to the petroleum market, and a whole
new vista of possibilities.
Year after year during the prosperous “Twenties”,
financial statements showed increasing profits. Tom
Stevens, now in his mid-70s, had turned adversity
into success.
From the Roaring Twenties to the Great Depression...
In 1929, optimism and promise began to fade with
the collapse of the US economy. Empire Brass sales
withered as construction slowed. Records of the
Canadian plumbing industry showed that only 300
bathtubs were sold between 1930 and 1936.
Tom Stevens fell seriously ill and died on January
6, 1930 in his 80th year. His son, Chester, became
President and General Manager. Meanwhile, Charlie
Ivey used his engineering training to find ways of
making products with fewer parts and simpler
EW 5
History - National
In the beginning... A young man by the name of Thomas
Stevens, just 23 years old, opened a plumbing shop
with his partner William Turner on Richmond Street,
in London, Ontario in 1873. In 1876, the business
became Stevens, Turner and Burns, with the addition
of James Burns, and their services were expanded to
plumbing, gas fitting, and brass finishing.
machining operations, thereby reducing costs. By 1938,
the fortunes of Canada and of Empire Brass started to
turn upward.
War Erupts Again... Empire Brass found itself in the
position of working for war. The company retooled for
military contracts and produced hundreds of different
brass components used in the construction of ships
for the Canadian Navy. When World II ended in 1945,
Canadian veterans and war workers were ready to
enjoy the pleasures of peace and the luxuries that
followed wartime restraint. The demand for plumbing
supplies would be tremendous.
1929 EMCO Letterhead
Under the leadership of new President Charlie Ivey,
Empire Brass had the opportunity to become a leader
in the industry. The London factory was equipped with
excellent machinery from the war contracts. There
were six branches across Canada - London, Toronto,
Vancouver, Winnipeg, Hamilton and Sudbury. The only
problem was that the war had demolished the Empire
Brass sales force to a team of only 16.
Orders could be delivered where they were required “on
site”, exactly on schedule and ready for installation.
New Name, New Trends... In 1957, EMCO Limited
became the corporate name, replacing Empire
Waterworks. With the warehousing network expanding
annually, EMCO searched for more products to
manufacture. Copper solder fittings, liquefied
petroleum gas controls, natural gas regulators, and
aerators for water faucets joined the product line.
While the London factory continued to expand its
product line, the branches continued to sell more
inventory purchased from other manufacturers so that
customers’ requirements could be completely filled.
During the post-war building boom in Canada, bathrooms
and kitchens entered an era of design. These changing
trends did not escape EMCO. The company modified
its manufacturing facilities and adjusted inventories to
take full advantage of the demands of the times.
The Turning of the Tide... In 1976, John W. Adams
succeeded Norman Chapman as President. EMCO
then had two main operating groups: The Plumbing
The Evolution of a Coast to Coast Company... Speed
was essential to head off competition, so the decision
was made to establish a course that would train the
nucleus of a rejuvenated sales force. By 1951, there
were 75 salesmen who were able to promote the
application of Empire Brass products in plumbing and
heating systems with tradesmen. Canada’s sheer size
posed a tremendous challenge to the sales force.
Markets were varied and scattered. The search for
companies that were strategically placed to enable
the spread of Empire Brass across Canada began. In
1953, the Thomas Robertson Company was acquired,
and EMCO inherited a thriving steel business.
Jack Stevens became President in 1954 and remained
steadfastly determined that Empire Brass would
continue to enjoy its share of the post-war boom.
Branch openings or acquisitions became frequent.
EW 6
EMCO Newspaper ad in the 1920’s
Expanding the EMCO “Universe”... In 1984, the
company welcomed a new President, John Brant - the
first EMCO President to come from the “outside.”
He believed in diversification and decentralization,
not job titles, policies or procedure manuals. He
put a tremendous trust in the management of
EMCO companies around the world, giving them full
autonomy. The company culture began to shift.
More aggressive acquisitions with higher and higher
price tags took place and debt grew. In 1989, EMCO’s
sales were $1.2 billion, but the company recorded a
painful loss of $13 million.
The Way Back to Black... In 1990, Frank M. Hennessey
became President and CEO of EMCO, replacing John
Brant. He knew that the EMCO businesses were
strong, but they lacked synergy, direction, and a plan
to leverage the power of a billion dollar organization.
With a new management team in place, and bankers
on side, EMCO turned its attention to directing
the company’s focus to product quality, customer
responsiveness and employee pride. After four
consecutive years of losses, EMCO achieved a
profit in 1993, despite a continued weak Canadian
economy.
Blazing the Path to the New Millennium... With
the company back on solid footing, Doug Speers,
President of EMCO Building Products, was named
President and CEO of EMCO Limited. EMCO focused
on increasing export sales, improving productivity
in plant operations, reducing expense areas, and
ensuring customer satisfaction. That year, EMCO
reported record sales of $1,136,584,000.
On Friday, February 21, 2003, EMCO’s shareholders
accepted a buyout by Blackfriars Corp., a Delaware
investment firm. In May 2003, a significant event
in EMCO’s history took place when the company
returned to private ownership. The new entity was
named EMCO Corporation.
New Horizons... In 2004, Rick Fantham became the
President of EMCO Corporation. Since 2001, Rick
had been striving to build a culture based on EMCO’s
core values of creating a safe environment for taking
risks, doing the right thing, having high expectations
and being accountable. In the first five years of the
new millennium, solid execution of this philosophy
delivered dramatic growth and record results. “We
are excited by the possibilities of building on this solid
foundation in creating a very special company where
all of our people have the freedom to live into their
dreams. In Rick Fantham’s words, “The good old days
of EMCO are tomorrow!”
*This is an edited version of the history of EMCO
Waterworks. To view the complete unedited history
of EMCO Waterworks visit: www.emcoontario.com
EMCO Calgary Staff 1959
EW 7
History - National
and Industrial Group, and the Petroleum Equipment
Group, with operations around the world. EMCO
manufacturing had facilities in eight countries and
was marketing products in more than 100 countries.
It was now a major manufacturer of plumbing supplies
in North America.
The “Waterworks Council”
J
uly 5th, 1990 is a date of historic significance for
EMCO’s Waterworks Division. On this date the
first meeting of the “Waterworks Council” (as it
became known) was held. In attendance were Daryl
McLennan, Kerry Lines, Jerry Wright, Gilles Lauren,
Phil Cooke, Ted Kennedy, Ken Goodsell, Yves
Kirouac, Bob Johnston, Sam Torkia and John Stock
representing EMCO’s eastern Canada operations.
Each person representing their region presented
their WW’s business and marketplace. It found that
they all did the same job, but their activities, product
mix and promotional activity varied greatly. This was
an extremely beneficial first step in our Waterworks
National Organization.
First, the meeting set them up as a resource
base for each other and for general or detailed
information exchange. It also opened their eyes into
the potential of operating as one team and learning
from each other’s strategies, varying product mixes
and opportunities for joint ventures.
From this meeting the platform to move forward
quickly turned into several key initiatives:
Waterworks National Bulk Buys – Corporation
Brass was the first. Key learning from this was the
care needed not to disrupt the marketplace and the
reaction that the vendors who do not get the big
order will have. Attention was paid to its client Cities,
and how key product brands were tied to its strong
relationships with them. Caution was used where
some products were moved.
EMCO Waterworks Poster Program – A Poster was
designed and 5000 printed in English and 500 in
French. Municipal customers particularly liked this
poster as it helped them inform the public about
their operations. It was also a great training poster.
EMCO Waterworks Training Manual – To be given
to every waterworks employee (especially all new
employee’s) in Canada, printed in English and French.
This was done on a pre-windows computer produced
in DOS before spell-check and scanning ability were
available. The old cut and paste method was used.
The Waterworks manual was eventually changed
to CD interactive (before DVD was introduced). A
10 year old version is still utilized today for new
employees in some Waterworks PC’s.
A learning from the early WW’s Council years was that
caution was needed in assuming a product line that
worked in one area would be great in all Waterworks
locations. It was found that local markets varied and
that it was necessary to test each market location
and perform a business assessment before moving
forward - products can be great opportunities in
certain areas but not necessarily all areas.
The EMCO Waterworks Poster circa 1991
EW 9
History - Alberta
JULY 5, 1990 EMCO (Mississauga Office)
EMCO Supply Partners - With EMCO’s solid history
of wholesale distribution it was soon determined
which suppliers best to partner with to bring the full
complement of core waterworks products together. Core
product categories included: PVC water and sewer pipe,
service line tubing, valves, hydrants, corporation brass,
municipal castings, couplings, clamps and saddles.
Through the years since, EMCO’s supply partners have
continued to grow and expand their businesses in
terms of both the size of their operations and especially
size and ranges of products and expanded product
applications. 60” plastic pipe for municipal application
was unheard of 25 years ago!
The biggest advantage gained was the network of
waterworks people across Canada now had the
ability to call each other for guidance, experience and
knowledge at any time, and all in attendance at the
meeting bought right into the program.
Alberta History 1990 – 2015
1990-1994 – At Western Supplies Calgary,
Darrell Richardson was the sole waterworks sales
representative (Branch managed by Jay Stingley).
Western Supplies Edmonton as well sold waterworks
products through their plumbing branch.
1994 – With the merger of Scepter and Canron in 1993
Dale Sawchuk (Scepter) joined EMCO and opened
standalone Waterworks branches in Calgary and
Edmonton under the business name Western Supplies
Waterworks. Dale hired Mike Buker, Darrell Lupyk,
Wayne Kopeck, and Chris Philpott in Southern Alberta;
John Yeske, Dave Russell, Greg Tegler, and Vinny Svy
in Northern Alberta. The business was rebranded as
EMCO Waterworks in 2000.
Dale left EMCO in 2000 to join his brother in business.
Daryl McLennan (VP Waterworks) provided his interim
leadership in Alberta and initiated discussions with
Dave Place mid-2001; Dave joined the business late
2001 as Alberta Manager, all while Daryl opened a
new EMCO Waterworks branch in Lethbridge.
EW 10
Through 2002 – 2003 EMCO Waterworks branches
were opened in Red Deer, Grande Prairie, and Fort
McMurray.
2003 – Purchase of EMCO by Blackfriars Corp.; a
significant event in EMCO’s history when the Company
returned to private ownership.
2004 – Sandale Utility Products, a Brantford Ontario
based distributor of high density polyethylene (HDPE)
pipe and fittings, and a provider or fusion services
and equipment, was acquired by EMCO Waterworks
in 2004. Immediately following, branch operations in
Calgary and Edmonton were opened and experienced
industry specialists hired, and supplier partnerships
established soon after. Since then, the business
has grown significantly and is recognized as the
HDPE industry leader serving industrial, mining, and
municipal markets.
2006 – In 2006 Van-Kel Irrigation, a long time
distributor of Toro and Irritrol products in the BC
Interior was acquired by EMCO Waterworks and in
2007 EMCO acquired the residential and commercial
irrigation business of Oak Creek Golf & Turf Inc.
2006 – In 2006 EMCO Corporation acquired the
Waterworks Distribution Division of Norwood Foundry
in Nisku Alberta. Today Norwood Waterworks has
offices in Edmonton and Calgary. The acquisition
was strategic in that by acquiring Norwood, EMCO
increased territory coverage market share in the
process.
2013 – Coast Water was formed in 2004 by David
Berton and Jim Quach as a pre-packaged vault
business. Coast Water would source its products
from EMCO Waterworks to create the vault and then
sell the vault back to EMCO for final sale to the
contractor. In February 2013 EMCO acquired Coast
Water allowing for a more streamlined production
and sales process in which customers can receive
the highest quality final products, while supported by
EMCO’s vast network of suppliers.
Leadership (People x Customers) = Results
Training and Development – EMCO Waterworks is
committed to providing at least 60 hours per year per
teammate of training. Investing in the development of
teammates paves the pathway to achieve independent
and highly productive Profit Centre performance.
EMCO offers many different tutorials and courses,
some internal and some external, to create success.
On-site Water & Waste Water
Rick Fantham, President, EMCO Corporation
Since 2001 Rick Fantham has been striving to create
a culture based on EMCO’s Core Values. Simply put,
EMCO’s business is driven by the formula of: L (PxC)=R…
or investing in developing world-class leaders (L) that
create an environment of inspired people (P) who
build powerful customer loyalty (C) to deliver superior
financial results (R). All of EMCO’s teammates are
challenged to be leaders.
Teammate Development
and the Management
Development Program
Program Mission Statement - EMCO’s Management
Development Program is a formal avenue to foster
and develop smart, talented individuals to become
leaders of profit centre teams. EMCO hires highpotential university graduates and places them
in several different high-performing locations
across Canada to be mentored by EMCO’s most
proven leaders. They spend time learning how to
thrive in EMCO’s decentralized model and acquire
comprehensive product knowledge, sales and
operational excellence while being a contributing
Onsite water management has become a growing
opportunity first recognized by EMCO Waterworks at
the beginning of the New Millennium. Independent of
Public Infrastructure, Private Property owners, ranging
in size from home and acreage owners to commercial
properties, right up to large industrial facilities are
becoming more and more responsible for managing
their On-Site potable sanitary, storm, fire, and irrigation
water requirements. All of these requirements include
storage, movement, measurement, and control of the
on-site water resources. The fast paced development
of alternative solutions and products providing
technical and economic value for public and private
infrastructure investors keeps the Leadership and
sales teams of EMCO Waterworks very busy.
Irrigation
EMCO’s entry into the Irrigation industry was
facilitated by the acquisition of Van-Kel Irrigation in
the fall of 2006. It then acquired the residential and
commercial irrigation business of Oak Creek Golf
& Turf Inc in 2007. This allowed EMCO to develop
a network of branches across Alberta and British
Columbia to service the Residential/Commercial
Irrigation contractor market. Operating under both
the Van-Kel Irrigation and the EMCO Irrigation names
EMCO has dedicated irrigation staff on hand to meet
customer needs. Emco/Van-Kel is the distributor for
Toro, Rainbird and Res/Com irrigation products across
western Canada. In Regards to Sentinel Central
control systems, EMCO/Van-Kel employs some of the
most knowledgeable staff in North America. Geosynthetics
Its business is providing geosynthetic solutions to
the construction, landscaping, industrial industries,
as well as the Resource (oil and gas, forestry)
Industry. The general concept of geosynthetics is
to reduce or eliminate the use of traditional nonrenewable resources, adding a longer project life
cycle at a lower cost.
EW 11
L (PxC) = R
member of the team. Throughout the training, they
are given responsibility and personalized training
opportunities to make a measurable contribution to
the company. The growth of its business has made
the Management Development Program an integral
part of EMCO’s future leadership and success.
EW 12
Geosynthetic Products and Technology
•Geotextiles/Geogrids for Roads – Paved/Unpaved
•Erosion and Sediment Control Products
•Containment – Geomembranes
•Drainage Products
•MSE Walls and Slopes
Rain tank storm water management
The Rain Tank is a sub-surface rainwater storage
tank with highly permeable surfaces made up from
manufactured modular components. It is used “atsource” allowing the option for infiltration, detention,
or retention. With these unique characteristics, the
Rain Tank aids designers in managing stormwater
run-off, reducing pollutants entering surface waters,
recharging local aquifers and relieving pressure on
existing stormwater systems.
The Emco Rain Tank System is the complete
package of components required to install a Rain
Tank, including engineering consultation and on-site
instruction and inspections. This package is brought
using a simple cost/m3 of tank.
Since 2003, EMCO has been providing Rain
Tank solutions for engineers, municipalities, and
developers across the country. It has numerous
installations in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.
To date, installed tanks range from as little as 2 m3
to larger than 4,000 m3 - there is no limit in capacity.
The core of the Emco Rain Tank System is the
modular components. EMCO has
now introduced the next
generation
modular
system from Brentwood
Industries – the StormTank
module – manufactured
in North America. Both
modular components are
made from recycled postindustrial plastic, which is
particularly important if working on
Brentwood
Modular System
a LEEDTM project.
The Emco Rain Tank System offers a unique
combination of flexible configurations, ease of
installation, high detention capacity, high media
permeability and low long-term clogging factors; all
in one system. It has a wide range of applications
including car parks and road drainage, housing, sports
fields, roof gardens, etc. For the same excavated
volume, an Emco Rain Tank System can manage a
lot more water than conventional infiltration methods
– such as sand trenches, soak away gravel pits,
perforated or slotted pipe.
Flow control
Managing flow generated after rainfall or snowmelt
events is an important consideration when determining
conveyance infrastructure, flood prevention strategies
and end of pipe erosion reduction.
Uncontrolled flows may overload existing drainage
systems causing flooding and deterioration of
conveyance infrastructure owing to increased
velocities. In combined sewer systems, this same
overload caused by uncontrolled flows to wastewater
treatment plants may result in an overall reduction of
treatment efficiency.
EMCO is proud to offer simple means of controlling
excessive water runoff is by controlling excessive
flows at their origin (catch basins).
Erosion and sediment control
Construction sites often have large exposed surfaces
that easily erode when exposed to wind and/or water.
Once sediment has been dislodged it becomes
suspended in the runoff from these sites carrying
and depositing pollutant loads into storm conveyance
infrastructure and receiving water bodies.
After a rainfall event, there are traditionally two
ways that water is reintroduced to the natural water
cycle. Firstly, the rainwater may enter a storm sewer
that eventually connects to a nearby waterway. This
means that any pollutants present on roadways or
in landscaped areas eventually arrive untreated at
waterways.
Flows generated after large storm events additionally
possess the ability to overload the natural drainage
system leading to bank erosion and flooding.
Secondly, some municipalities have systems that
The EcoVault stormwater treatment structure
EW 13
Products and Applications
EMCO offers a complete range of geosynthetic
products and technology for a number of essential
civil engineering applications:
combine both storm and sanitary sewers. This storm
and sewage mixture is piped to a wastewater treatment
facility before arriving at a waterway. During large storm
events these combined systems can overflow resulting
in the mixture entering local waterways, untreated.
Pressure has been put on municipalities to upgrade
existing stormwater infrastructure in order to
accommodate the increasing demands of expanding
cities. If stormwater can be successfully managed
onsite, the overflow and untreated runoff entering
waterways through conventional methods of treatment
can be mitigated. Treating stormwater onsite allows
the demands of municipalities to be met without
overburdening or expanding existing stormwater
infrastructure.
Emco is proud to offer various environmental
protection products engineered to reduce the negative
impacts of large flows and sediment loads generated
by storm events.
Commercial / Industrial rainwater harvesting
Rainwater is a resource that can be collected and reused in irrigation and other gray water uses. Rainwater
harvesting requires a collection system and storage
tank, a pump and control system, and often a method
to remove pollutants. EMCO has been involved in
many projects that require large capacity underground
storage tanks for rainwater harvesting projects.
These include institutions, commercial, and industrial
applications. The Raintank system lends itself
particularly well to LEED projects with partial content
of recycled materials.
EMCO can provide full-design irrigation systems in
Alberta and BC through its irrigation specialists Van-Kel.
Aeration and mixing solutions
EMCO is the exclusive provider of DO2E’s highly
efficient floating Aerators Mixers for Waste Water
Treatment Plants, Pulp and Paper Mills, Mining,
Contaminated Lakes and other applications such as
Water Curtains. It is a valued member of the BC Hydro
PowerSmart Alliance, and can provide the technology
to reduce hydro costs by up to 80% - depending on the
application.
The company is also the distributor of the DO2E
Water Curtain Aeration System for Sewage Lagoons,
WWTP, Harbours, Ponds, Lakes, wherever hi-efficiency
aeration is required. These systems will move up to 24
MGD using the Venturi Air Manifold Technology. EMCO
and DO2E are at the forefront of new water treatment
technologies using their exclusive ‘Venturi Air Manifold’
technology or VAM aerators.
Specialty linings and coatings
Glass lining is applied in a unique process that forms a
permanent chemical and physical bond with the metal
surface. The finished surface is extremely smooth
and has a hardness of 5-6 on the Mohs scale. These
characteristics make glass lined pipe ideal for transfer
of fluids with >3% solids and/or solids or chemicals
that tend to adhere to the inside of bare pipe. In
such applications, the use of glass-lined pipe will
significantly reduce the maintenance, wasted energy
and pump-repair cost associated with solids build
up in piping systems. Fast Fab’s glass lining is also
resistant to high temperatures, thermal shock and a
wide pH range. One important application is the use
of glass-lined pipe in the scum and sludge lines in
sewage treatment plants, to eliminate the problems
associated with Struvite and Vivianite deposits.
Ceramic-Epoxy lining is applied in another unique
process that forms a chemical and physical bond
between two dry chemicals and the metal surface.
This product is ideal for transfer of fluids with the
wastewater and sewage industry.
Fusion Bonded Epoxy is a one-part, heat cured,
thermosetting epoxy coating designed for corrosion
protection of metal and custom fabricated fittings. The
epoxy is applied as to preheated steel as a dry powder
which melts and cures to form a continuous, insulative
corrosion barrier. The product is resistant to corrosive
soils, hydrocarbons, harsh chemicals and sea water
and is NSF-61 approved.
EW 14
The following are examples of the many projects
undertaken by EMCO over recent years:
Chinook Mall
Expansion (Calgary)
T
he Chinook Centre Shopping Mall in Calgary was
growing in size with a major addition due to open
in the fall of 2010. In recent years, large storm
events in the area had overloaded the local City storm
sewer system. This resulted in flooding in the area
that also affected the mall.
Architect for the new addition to the mall, Cohos
Evamy, was concerned that changes to the routing
of runoff would lead to a potential increase in runoff
directed to the portion of the City storm sewer that
experienced the overload condition noted above. The
task of the civil site design engineer, Urban Systems
Ltd., was to design a system that could mitigate any
potential increase in runoff to the affected portion of
the City storm sewer. Additionally, an opportunity to
buffer potential overload in the City system, to mitigate
potential impacts on the mall area was desired.
The solution arrived at included an underground
detention tank along with a flow control orifice. The
flow control orifice regulates the flow to the City storm
sewer. The underground detention tank serves two
purposes: (1) temporary storage of runoff held back
by the flow control orifice, and (2), a storage cell that
will act as a buffer for excess water that may back-up
into the Chinook Centre site as a result of potential
overloads in the City storm sewer.
This project brought many challenges that were
unique in nature: First, the tight footprint available
and the high storage volume. The only location for
the tank was in-between existing water main lines,
electrical chambers and rights of way, and parkade
foundations. Second, the tank itself was located
under a parking lot that had to take the load of the
heaviest City of Calgary fire engine, and was buried
deeper than usual to meet existing pipe grades. Third,
the existing site had potential soil contaminants that
could not leach into the storm water. Fourth, during
construction an existing storm line that had to be kept
in service until the new system was commissioned.
To manage the runoff from the Chinook Centre site
the Brentwood StormTank was chosen. With a void
availability of 97%, the Brentwood StormTank provided
the smallest footprint for the 934 cu. m. of storage
capacity required. This not only made the tank ‘fit’
between the constraints but also minimized the
amount of excavation required.
The Brentwood StormTank meets AASHTO HS25 load
requirements, the strongest capability of its product
type in the market today, and was therefore able to
handle any vehicle loading placed on it including the
City’s fire trucks. For geotechnical considerations,
EBA Engineering Consultants was retained.
In order to prevent any leaching, the tank was wrapped
in an impermeable liner. Emco utilized Paydirt Enviro
Systems as the tank installer. Paydirt is an experienced
company who specializes in containment installations
including welding of seams to ensure water tightness.
With the existing storm line cutting through the
original tank location, an innovative ‘stepped’ tank
design was used. This method was allowable due to
the modular make-up of the tank system.
EW 15
Projects
EMCO is Canada’s largest waterworks distributor. Its range of standard and specialized
products, combined with many years of experience and expertise in product application places
EMCO Waterworks in the unique position of being able to “Partner” with project managers and
stakeholders, and to provide valuable resources vital to successful project completions.
Oxford Business
Park
T
he Oxford Business Park was a new construction
project being built alongside the extensive
Airport Runway project in Calgary, Alberta. The
business park alone spanned roughly 600 acres,
representing a small portion of the overall airport
project footprint. The majority of this extensive area
was to be paved, presenting a serious problem with
storm water runoff and the resulting burden on the
City of Calgary’s storm system.
The main concerns for Idea Group, the engineering
consultant for the project, were the tight restrictions
the City had placed on them as well as the soil
conditions they were working with. When there is a
heavy rainfall in a natural setting, the water covers
the ground evenly and is able to percolate through
the soil, allowing the land to drain. If these areas get
paved over in land development, the storm water is
unable to drain through the ground and must then
be funneled into the City’s storm water system via a
series of catch basins and large piping. Due to the
large area of paved land in the Oxford Business Park,
storm water presented a potential issue in which the
city’s storm system may not have been able to handle
such a large amount of rainfall in a short period of
time. The City of Calgary mandated that 75% of
annual rainfall had to be retained on site and allowed
to dissipate into the ground rather than into their
municipal storm system.
Idea Group set out to design a solution that would
meet all of their requirements. Traditional ponds were
not an option due to the amount of developed land
in the area. The initial idea of a misting system was
not approved due to health concerns and was instead
replaced by StormTech. This system consists of a
series of arch chambers which meet AASHTO, ASTM
and CSA design standards and can be covered with
different fill materials allowing each installation to
meet the unique requirements of a project in a costeffective manner. Using the StormTech chambers, Idea
Group was able to design an innovative storm water
management solution that met all of their needs.
The StormTech system was built in two parts under
parking lots. Idea Group was able to take advantage
of the modular nature of the chambers and extend
the system along a large area under the parking lots,
allowing them to have more area to let the water
percolate through the soil. Tight soil conditions did
not allow the water to drain at a fast enough rate, so
the StormTech chambers were used as a retention
system in order to hold the storm water long enough
for it to dissipate naturally through the soil and
without overloading the municipal storm system.
EW 16
Blue-Con Excavating was chosen as the contractor for
the project due to their previous experience installing
a StormTech system along with their long track record
for bringing exemplary quality to previous work. First,
a large trench was excavated and geosynthetic fabric
was rolled out to cover the bottom of the StormTech
system. Next, the chambers were laid out in rows on
top of the fabric. The lightweight characteristics of
the StormTech chambers not only made for efficient
and economical transportation to site, but also
allowed for each chamber to be maneuvered by hand
using only two people to lift each chamber. Gravel
was then poured over the chambers and wrapped in
geosynthetic fabric. Roman Mucenski, the project
manager for Blue-Con, said that it was a “very
simple installation”, and that it went smoothly. These
sentiments are echoed by James Seller, the engineer
from Idea Group who was leading the project. Peter
Nelmes of ADS Hancor provided support for the
StormTech system throughout the project, providing
all the necessary installation manuals and guidelines,
as well as consulting with Idea Group and BlueCon. EMCO Waterworks managed the supply and
scheduling of all StormTech material on the site.
A
DS Hancor is a North American leader in HDPE
and polyethylene sanitary and storm pipe.
ADS SaniTite is quickly becoming accepted
as the solution for large diameter storm projects.
Manufactured in Seattle, Washington, ADS is
distributed all over North America by partners like
EMCO Waterworks.
EMCO Waterworks has been fundamental in the
engineering process working with many project
managers looking for an opportunity to provide
innovative storm management solutions on projects
that are short on time and budget. EMCO Waterworks
is the leading national water infrastructure distributor
in Canada and is an expert in storm management
systems. EMCO provides 24/7 access to materials,
has in house pipe/valve/fittings experts, and can
accommodate every type of water project big or
small. EMCO is able to deliver products and solutions
that are consistent with the high demands of today’s
municipal infrastructure needs.
Project
During the spring of 2015, the City of Red Deer
awarded a tender for the 67 Street / 30 Avenue
Expansion Project, which includes construction of a
two lane roundabout, the first of its kind in the city. An
extremely critical project, the roundabout provides a
critical link to the new North Highway Connector, and is
located right in the heart of two of Red Deer’s busiest
roads, accommodating all kinds of traffic including
heavy equipment and machinery. It was important
to the city that this project met and exceeded all
stringent requirements in an effort to make a long
lasting impact on the rapidly expanding northeast side
of the city. ADS SaniTite pipe has a design service life
(DSL) of up to 100 years and is extremely resistant to
different kinds of soil conditions, has two water tight
gaskets to prevent infiltration/exfiltration, and will not
require relining or replacement for years to come.
The project was awarded to one of Central Alberta’s
largest contractors, Pidherney’s Inc., a company that
has been working on municipal infrastructure projects
since their incorporation in 1971. Pidherney’s Inc. is a
fundamental part of Central Alberta’s growth and has
been involved in a substantial amount of municipal
projects over the last four decades. During their peak
operating season they have over 600 administrative
and construction staff and operate 500 pieces of
equipment and 100 gravel and lowbed trucks.
Solution
ADS SaniTite provided the contractor the ability to
meet aggressive deadlines, and take advantage of
its ease of use. A small team of three was able to
lay a substantial amount of large diameter pipe each
day, cutting installation costs down by less than
half.
ADS SaniTite pipe offers many advantages including
significant savings on installation costs, machine
operation costs, and material savings. Each length
of pipe is 6.096m long, over twice as long as
conventional pipe and can be shipped to site with half
the amount of trucks required for concrete or less.
The pipe is nested together with smaller diameters
being shipped inside of the larger diameter profiles
allowing more material to be shipped on each load.
This makes it easier to coordinate site traffic on a
large scale project where machinery, trucks, and
open trenches make it difficult to maneuver.
EW 17
Projects
City of Red Deer, 67
Street / 30 Avenue
Expansion Project
Fort Kent Sewage
Lagoon (MD of
Bonnyville)
Norwood Waterworks (a Division of EMCO
Waterworks) and DO2E were pleased to team up
with the Municipal District of Bonnyville to solve odor
and solids issues at the Fort Kent Sewage Lagoon.
With between a dozen and two dozen Vacuum Trucks
delivering fresh effluent to the lagoons each day,
there was an on-going odor issue. Additionally, there
was a need to break down solids quickly. Previous
aeration solutions tried at the lagoons had failed to
address the odor and solids issues effectively.
The Norwood Waterworks/DO2E Little John Digester
is a state-of-the-art system that injects air through
a specially designed manifold system constructed
of heavy-duty non-corrosive material. Atop of this
specialized manifold are stationary ridges or blades.
As the air travels up and through the digester cylinder,
a void is created. With this vacuum effect, solids
are pulled in through the bottom of the digester and
across the stationary blades or ridges at the top of
the unit. At speeds up to 20 meters per second, the
solids are immediately emulsified when they come
in contact with the blades or ridges resulting in a
high degree of breakdown of solids, which greatly
increases the digestion process. Ozone can also be
injected in this cylinder which further facilitates the
digestion process of raw sewage. The Digester uses
three means of digestion: mechanical, chemical and
biological.
Mechanical - The mechanical process works as
described above by continuously moving the solids at
speeds up to 20 meters per second, and accounts
for approximately 70% of the digestion process.
Chemical - While no chemicals are added to the
process, the existing household chemicals found
in grease traps and lift stations such as soaps,
detergents, degreasers, stain removal solvents,
drain cleaners, fabric softeners and all of the other
household cleaners that are discarded down the
drain are recycled. Once discarded, these unused
household chemicals become stratified or separated
in the water column and have little to no effect in the
digestion process. The process has a unique way of
blending all these existing chemicals / components
together to further break down the grease and
other matting which occurs naturally. This is a key
component of DO2E’s green technology - recycling.
It is estimated that the chemical digestion accounts
for 20 to 25 % of the digestion that will be occurring
after the Digester is installed.
EW 18
Biological - The biological digestion is further
enhanced by reducing BOD and COD. By continuously
injecting 12 to 14 m3/min of fresh air into the
water column, the system will stimulate or enhance
the activity of the microbes. This enhancement of
the aerobic environment further propagates good
bacteria growth. It is estimated that this portion of
the digestion process may account for 10 to 15% of
the digestive process.
The Norwood Waterworks, DO2E and the M.D. of
Bonnyville team worked together to wire and install
eight Floating Little John Digester units and eight
blowers in weather-proof cabinets to have the
solution fully installed in about four hours. “I am
very pleased with the odor and solids reduction. The
Norwood DO2E Digesters are a valuable solution for
our Lagoons.” - Terry Twerdohlib, Utilities Foreman,
M.D. of Bonnyville.
Congratulations EMCO on
25 Years of Success
With over 100 years of industry experience, Cambridge
Brass is one of North America’s leading designers,
manufacturers and distributors of municipal
waterworks products. Offering a full range of No-Lead
brass products, stainless steel saddles and repair
clamps and plumbing products; we continuously innovate
to meet the changing needs of the industry. We are
proud to have EMCO as a strong partner and
congratulate them on 25 years of success in Alberta!
www.cambridgebrass.com
Toll Free: 1-800-265-6638
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