Water
Size matters
Water treatment and transport often utilses large-sized valves. For large transmission pipelines( those carrying treated or raw water from reservoirs or treatment plants to cities), these include:
• Butterfly valves are typically used for diameters up to DN 3000 mm( ≈120 in / 10 ft).
• Gate valves are common up to about DN 1200 – 1600 mm( ≈48 – 64 in); beyond that, they become uneconomical and too heavy to operate reliably.
• Check valves( swing or dual-plate) are also made up to around DN 2000 mm( ≈80 in), but are usually installed smaller than the main isolating valves.
However, if we consider mega-scale water transport systems such as long-distance aqueducts, hydro schemes, or inter-basin transfers, manufacturers such as AVK, Bermad, Singer, and KSB have produced butterfly valves up to DN 4000 mm( ≈160 in / 13 ft). These are rare and custom-made, typically used at dam outlets, pumping stations, or hydropower penstocks.
Advanced oxidation processes( AOPs) are emerging as a tool for achieving high quality in drinking water. They remove organic( and sometimes inorganic) materials in water and wastewater by oxidation through reactions with hydroxyl radicals. AOPs are highly effective, as they can remove over 99 % of contaminants, mineralise organic carbon into harmless byproducts, and even achieve simultaneous disinfection. However, AOPs are energy-intensive and costly, so they are generally used only in the final stages. Water treatment and renewable energy are increasingly entwined. Saudi Arabia’ s planned NEOM / OXAGON desalination plant,
Ultrafiltration( UF) membrane side stream configuration. By Aquabio Ltd.- Own work, CC BY-SA 3.( Wikipedia).
powered entirely by green hydrogen and renewables, is emblematic of this shift. Morocco is coupling desalination with wind power; Dubai’ s Hassyan SWRO and Ukraine’ s Mykolaiv solar desalination project are harnessing solar. Not only will the future of water be powered by clean energy, but the converse is also true: wastewater can be converted into energy, as happens at the biogas unit at the Seine Aval wastewater facility near Paris. These projects illustrate a convergence of water treatment, energy efficiency and climate-conscious design,
16 Valve World November 2025 www. valve-world. net