Wet Tap Contractor Approval Process

January 2012

Fairfax Water maintains an “Approved Wet Tap Contractor” list.The approved Wet Tap Contractor list is only for Companies who install a “lateral valve” under pressure and is not intended as an approval process for accomplishing watermain service connections. Companies represented on this list are approved by Fairfax Waterto make taps on DIP, CIP, ACP, Steel, and PCCP pipelines. Some contractors are approved to perform wet taps on specific types of pipe while other contractors are approved to perform taps on all types.In order to be included on this list; contractorsmust submit the followinginformation:

  • Types and sizes of taps they wish to perform (i.e. DIP, CIP, PCCP, etc.)
  • Listing of corporate experience with tapping that type of pipe, including project names, for a minimum of five taps of the types and sizes listed
  • Contact information for the water supply agencies in whose jurisdiction these taps were made
  • Names of foreman or foremen the contractor wishes to have approved to make taps
  • Resumes of these foremen including projectsnames, sizes and types of taps performed, and contact information for the water supply agencies in whose jurisdiction the taps were performed

Submit to:

Chief Construction Engineer

8560 Arlington Blvd.

Fairfax, VA22031

Or fax to: 703-289-6398

After receiving this information, Fairfax Water will contact the references supplied by the contractor and determine whether it is accurate and sufficient. Following this process Fairfax Water will contact the contractor to inform him of his status. The list will include both the contractor and the name of their foreman. Both must be included on the Approved list in order for the contractor to be permitted to make wet taps on Fairfax Water pipelines.

Fairfax Water will review and update this list annually in Januaryl. We will send a questionnaire to each contractor on the current Approved list, requesting updated information. Contractors will then have a period of one month in which to respond. If Fairfax Water does not receive the updated information in that time period the contractor will be notified that they are no longer included on the Approved list.

Companies wishing to add new foremen to the list may do so at any time by providingthe resume data for that foreman for our review. Fairfax Water will communicate with the contacts provided and then add that foreman to the list or deny the request.

On the jobsitethe Fairfax Water Inspector will meet with the wet tap contractor’s foreman prior to making the tap in order to confirm thatboth the company and thatforeman areidentified on our list as approved to make taps on our pipelines. If either is not on the list the contractor will not be permitted to make the wet tap at that time.The individual approved to do the wet tap must remain on site until the completion of the wet tap. The Contractor shall call either Supervisor, Engineering Inspections (North) at 703-289-6399 or Supervisor, Engineering Inspections (South) at 703-289-6350, a minimum of 48 hours in advance of the wet tap to insure that the requirements noted above have been met and that a Fairfax Water Inspector will be available.