Without water there is no life. And the distribution of drinking water is only possible thanks to a good infrastructure. Renewing the water pipes in an entire street? That was a challenge that appealed to Deschacht!
Grey cast iron gives way to ductile iron
This street in Ramillies, a small village in Walloon Brabant, was in urgent need of a makeover. The old cast iron water pipes contained asbestos and had to be replaced by the Société Wallonne des Eaux (SWDE). “The new pipes are made of ductile iron, a much better material than grey cast iron. The latter breaks if it is subjected to too much weight, whereas ductile iron can deform without breaking,” says Vincent Brehl, account manager at Deschacht. Precisely because of this quality, SWDE has been choosing ductile iron for several years for the renovation work it oversees.
A genuine relationship of trust
The choice of Deschacht as the contractor for this large-scale project was obvious. A few months ago, Deschacht acquired Hydro-Mat, a company that the customer had known for a long time. Thanks to this long-standing relationship, there was already a lot of trust between the partners, as Vincent Brehl notes. “Our customer had been ordering from Hydro-Mat for years and knew the products used. He preferred a human-scale company over a larger competitor.” The quality of the service and materials has not changed. The fast turnaround times, the expert advice from Deschacht's employees, and their availability convinced the customer, who placed his first major order with the brand that is new to him for this ambitious project. Deschacht's services do not stop at the selection of products. After the start of the works, customers receive regular visits from a Deschacht employee, who advises them throughout the entire construction process. Vincent, who just returned from the construction site, knows that this is an effective approach: “The customer is very interested in our advice.”
A complete project
Renewing a street's drinking water supply involves more than just replacing pipes. After all, many components are needed to connect the lines. And those are also supplied by Deschacht. “In addition to the 2,000 meters of ductile iron pipes DN80 class C100, we provided 14 fittings, cast iron elbows, 14 resilient seated gate valves, 4 fire hydrants, and 45 branch connections to hook up the main lines to private homes. At Deschacht, we deliver complete projects.”
SWDE-approved material
Deschacht is no stranger to the construction sites of Société Wallonne des Eaux. “Our special feature is that the pipes to be used at SWDE construction sites are delivered to us. Afterwards, SWDE employees come to validate the pipes and other components at our premises. Once it has been determined that a piece meets the standards, an SWDE sticker is affixed to it. After that, we deliver the equipment to our customer.”
