While the largely visible components of the Chimney Hollow Reservoir Project easily steal our attention, there is something less talked about that many of these features have in common. Valves installed throughout the inlet/outlet works will give operators the ability to turn the system “on or off” when the project is complete. Valves make the project work.  

Upon completion, butterfly valves will provide isolation between the inflows to Chimney Hollow and the Colorado-Big Thompson Project. 

Vishal Gajera, mechanical engineer for Stantec, recently returned from Germany where most of the valves are being manufactured. The purpose of this trip was to observe the factory testing of butterfly valves and verify the valves meet specifications before they are shipped to site. Test procedures for all valves include dye penetrant tests of the shell and disc to check for any leakage, hydrostatic pressure tests at one-and-a-half times the design pressure and functional tests to ensure proper valve operation.