AWWA ACE68742

This paper discusses lessons learned during desktop analysis, design, construction, and startup of surge protection systems for a large water distribution system owned and operated by Louisville Water Company (LWC), located in Louisville, Kentucky. Comprehensive surge protection systems, including large hydro-pneumatic tanks for both high- and low-pressure events, were designed and constructed for various pumping stations inside the service area of the B.E. Payne plant. The field-measured data showed some variations from the desktop analysis, including a slightly lower pressure during down surge and a slightly lower pressure rise during the return wave than what was predicted by the model. Also, dampening of the waves was observed to be at a faster rate than what the desktop analysis predicted. Many reasons can be attributed to these variations and they are also discussed. Regardless of these variations, surge tanks limited the surge pressures as expected. Includes figures.