At the start of this second week, I began another project.

There is a new law that regulates the amount of lead leaching that occurs as water travels through plumbing fixtures, such as pipes, pipe and plumbing fittings, and fixtures used to convey or dispense water. The new ordinance maintains that water through any system should only contain a.25% weighted average lead content. There is a formula that relates the amount of surface area the water comes in contact with to the amount of lead concentration.
Figure A- Formula for the Weighted Average Lead Content as given in Vermont Statute 9V.S.A 2470ph(2)(D)

Lead content % of Cn x (SA of Cn/Total SA)

n 1

= weighted average lead content (<.25%)

** Where Cn represents each component containing lead in a given whole unit/system

I have been calculating the surface area of the inner workings of the hydrants that Merrill Manufacturing makes, for I will eventually be calculating the weighted average lead content as given by the formula above (Figure A). Below in Figure B I have an image of a hydrant with slices, so the water flow path and inner workings are exposed. The twists and curves that were involved made the calculation of surface are a fairly involved task. Figure B- Example of one of the hydrants I have been using two tools to help me do the calculations. I have created spreadsheets in Excel to help me total the surface area of each of the different parts that make up these hydrants. I also have learned to use Sketchup where I can construct the various pieces of the hydrant. Sketchup will calculate the surface area of an object you construct. I have been able to check my own calculations using Sketchup, and I have also been able to find the surface area of parts that otherwise would have required Calculus and complex calculations. In Figure C on the next page, I have shown you the process I have been using to calculate just a part of one of the pieces of the hydrant. I was told these do not have to be exact, though I strive to get close. The piece I have featured in Figure C is a Valve Body. To calculate the inner surface area, I had to do calculations that included finding the arc length, solving proportions, and using geometry formulas such as finding surface areas of cylinders, rectangles, and circles. I tried to be as close as possible with my calculations, but some of the would have required complex calculus calculations. I checked my approximations by constructing this piece in Sketchup.

Figure C- Process of calculation

Real life piece:

Sketchup: The same part in three different perspectives with area calculation

My Calculations using Excel as a organization system

Valve Body P1 (Base Cyl) P2 (Trans Cyl) P3 (Base of Arms) P4 (Arms) P5 (Arms) P6 (Top of Arms) P7 (Out Cyl) P10 (Threaded Out) height 0.437000 0.187500 0.375000 1.250000 1.250000 0.500000 0.625000 0.250000 diameter 1.37500 0.62500 0.81300 0.00000 0.00000 0.81300 1.37500 1.12600 radius 0.6875 0.3125 0.4065 0 0 0.4065 0.6875 0.563 2.969787 0 Total Additions 1.484893 0 0.519124 2.761274 2.761274 Subtractns 0.3067962 0 0.7856929 0.2394484 0.2394484 0.638529 1.6745436 0 SA 3.0658 0.3682 0.6912 2.5218 2.5218 0.6385 3.9950 0.8844 14.6868 14.23489 Sketchup