In case you came across this after looking up "watermanusa.com products", you have likely come across at least one Waterman valve or a gate from that company, either in the technical specifications for a project, architectural plans of some irrigation district, or some other engineering scheme dedicated to a flood protection project. You are probably asking questions like: Where is Waterman located? What products do they release? How do their products compare to those offered by their competitors?
Established in 1912, Waterman has spent more than a century in manufacturing products in water control. The organization has produced several products which are used in making waterworks. These include cast and fabricated gates of different kinds (like sliding, drainage, canal), gates and gate stems of all types, different kinds of risers and hydrants, butterfly valves, vacuum/air release valves, sand media and filtering system with pressure control, etc. Waterman has been catering mainly to clients like water companies, sewage treaters, agricultural irrigation providers, hydropower and flood control companies in the Western USA. The company has been part of the MCWANE Group since 2018. Other water control producers include Mueller Water Products, DeZURIK, Valmatic and other companies providing irrigation or municipal valves. The piping industry with great hygiene and pure grade stainless steel pipes is best represented by Eagle’s products.
Who is Waterman?
Waterman Industries has been producing water control and irrigation products at the Exeter, California plant since 1912, which means it is one of the oldest water equipment companies in the Western United States. Waterman Industries has a long history that goes back to the inception of California's irrigation network because it started by providing the canal gates and controls responsible for delivering water to the San Joaquin Valley and surrounding areas.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Waterman Industries LLC (also trades as Waterman Valve) |
| Founded | 1912 (112+ years in business) |
| Headquarters and plant | 25500 Road 204, Exeter, California 93221 |
| Ownership | A McWane company (acquired 2018), part of the McWane group of foundry and water-infrastructure companies |
| Core business | Water-control and flow-control products for water utilities, wastewater, agricultural irrigation, hydropower, and flood control |
| Tagline | "Designed for Performance, Built to Last" |
| Scale | 51-200 employees; A+ BBB-rated; in-house engineering team for selection, design, and installation support |
The organization is an iron foundry and a fabrication establishment at the same time: it casts many gates and manufactures its valve bodies, thus permitting the company to provide both catalogued items and fully custom-made structures. The company's clientele includes many reputable clients from the West including governmental agencies (water districts, utilities, flood-control districts), agricultural users of water (growers, irrigation cooperatives), as well as engineering companies that request the company’s products in canal projects and flood control activities.
What products does Waterman manufacture?
The line of products is based on one aim, which is to control water in open channels, pipelines, and treatment systems. The leading families are:
| Product family | What it is | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Canal gates (cast and fabricated) | Slide, radial, and vertical-lift gates that regulate flow in open channels | Irrigation canals, water-district turnouts, main canal control |
| Fabricated gates and drainage gates | Larger, custom-built gates including flap and drainage types | Flood control, drainage outfalls, reservoir outlets |
| Gate lifts, stems, and operators | The hardware that raises and lowers gates — manual stems, geared lifts, motorized operators | Automating and remote-operating canal gates |
| Riser valves and hydrants | Valved risers and standpipe-style hydrants for surface water delivery | Agricultural turnout delivery from canals to farms |
| Butterfly valves | Quarter-turn flow-control valves in cast iron and fabricated designs | Pipeline isolation and throttling in water and wastewater |
| Air release and vacuum valves | Automatic valves that vent or admit air to protect pipelines | Preventing air pockets and vacuum collapse in transmission mains |
| Sand media and pressure filters | Filtration vessels and systems | Water treatment, irrigation filtration, and reuse systems |
| Automated controls and accessories | Actuators, control panels, and positioners for gates and valves | Remote SCADA-operated water delivery |
There are two features that characterize the whole range. To begin with, durability surpasses finesse; these are heavy cast and fabricated items made for decades of outdoor operation. Secondly, it lacks standard engineering and since any structure or project is unique, Waterman’s engineers design one-of-a-kind gates and actuators whenever it is necessary.
Where are Waterman products used?
The app map describes the water cycle in the western part of the US:
- Farm irrigation: the main historical aspect—canals’ gates and control valves supplying water from irrigation canals to fields across the Central valley in California and various irrigation projects in the entire West.
- Water supply: the butterfly and air valves and filters used in systems dealing with drinking water distribution.
- Wastewater treatment: unique gates along with slide and flow control valves in treatment facilities’ channels.
- Hydropower generation: gates and valves regulating the waterflow to turbines.
- Flood control: drain and flab gate usage in dikes, storm channels, and tanks of great relevance given the increasing intensity of storms in the West.
Considering the fact that most of such equipment is designed and bought by different authorities the purchase is mostly based on qualifications meaning that the products will be assessed based on their reputation, standards of manufacture, and ability of the vendor to provide guarantees for the products.
Who does Waterman compete with?
Waterman competes in the sector of municipal and irrigation water control which features some other renowned names like:
| Competitor | HQ | Focus | Overlap with Waterman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mueller Water Products | Atlanta, Georgia | Hydrants, valves, and metering for water utilities | Valves, hydrants, and utility supply |
| DeZURIK | Sartell, Minnesota | Gates, valves (butterfly, plug, knife-gate) for water and wastewater | Direct overlap on gates and large valves |
| Val-Matic | Carol Stream, Illinois | Air valves, check valves, butterfly valves for municipal water | Direct overlap on air valves and butterfly valves |
| Watts / NIBCO and valve distributors | North Andover MA / Elkhart IN | Broad commercial and industrial valve ranges | Partial overlap on smaller valves |
| Bermad and irrigation-control specialists | Israel / global | Hydraulic control valves for irrigation networks | Overlap in automated irrigation delivery |
Waterman is among other brands within the group of McWane (the manufacturer of cast iron pipe and Clow, Kennedy, M&H and James Jones valves). This means that a buyer who purchased pipe and valves from McWane could buy gates from Waterman, as both are parts of the McWane group. For many projects, the competitors are DeZURIK for gates, Val-Matic for air valves and Mueller for utility valves. The regional fabricators offer custom gates competing with Waterman and other brands.
Company strength: what 112 years and McWane backing mean for buyers
For purchasing teams, there are four important attributes of Waterman:
- Longevity with continuity. Waterman has been in operation for 112 years and in 2018 began to receive the financial and supply-chain support from McWane, one of the leading foundry companies and organizations in the water-infrastructure business in the USA. As a result, the warranty and spare parts risks are low compared to other smaller companies in this segment.
- In-house engineering. The custom gates and operators are all designed internally which decreases the time needed for project design reviews and allows companies to be sure about effective execution of the projects.
- Vertical manufacturing. Having arrived at producing and assembling parts at one manufacturing plant creates ample opportunities for minimizing risks related to manufacturing.
- Depth of application. With its experience in canal and flood-control projects of various scales, the company is able to deliver comprehensive products, while its rivals are unable to provide similar experiences.
An important consideration is that the company is an expert in large-infrastructure projects but does not provide smaller commercial valves, sanitary process fittings, or proprietary alloy manufacturing services.
The other "water" industry: when the product is hygienic, not infrastructural
In case you were looking for products from watermanusa.com that are linked to food, beverages, dairy, brewery, or pharmaceuticals, as 'water' here means stainless steel process piping and sanitary flow control, do note that you would need to go to a whole different universe: sanitary fittings and valves made to 3-A or ASME BPE standards, having a roughness coefficient ranging from Ra 0.4-0.8 µm, and featuring clean-in-place design. In comparison to the open canal handled by Waterman's gate valve, insist on a hygienic ball or butterfly valve when a sanitary product line is being used and where the presence of bacteria should be ruled out.
This is the market segment for Eagle’s products: certified sanitary fittings made of stainless steel, tri-clamp connections, and valves for food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industry. In our sanitary fitting primer, we explain the basic principles that make fittings “sanitary” and summarize the applicable regulations.
Requiring price quotes from manufacturers of stainless steel fittings will result in getting an offer meeting the same requirements as in case of requesting quotes from the manufacturers of municipal valves. The material question of a specification — what material grade shall be used and whether the increase of costs for using molybdenum stainless steel is justified — is covered in our 304 vs 316 guide.Another issue to look at is the type of connection to be used. “Hygienic piping” can include three different types of connections: tri-clamp, threaded, and welded connections. An error in selection of one connection method could result in a leakage, formation of crevices, or inability to clean the piping system. The problem of threaded connections and the need to differentiate between NPT and BSPT standards are discussed in our FIP vs NPT thread guide.
In fact, choosing between two options is very easy once you determine the kind of water that flows: open-channel, flood control, and utility water flowing in large concrete or iron structures is in the Waterman zone while sanitary product water that flows through stainless pipes falls under the sanitary fittings category. or the second, sizing and measurement conventions matter — sanitary tube is specified by outside diameter, not nominal pipe size — and our sanitary fittings measurement guide covers the dimensions that must match before you order anything.
FAQ
Where is Waterman located, and is watermanusa.com the official site?
Yes, watermanusa.com is the official website of Waterman Industries which is located at 25500 Road 204, Exeter, California (Tulare County). The company has been creating equipment for water management since 1912.
Who owns Waterman?
Waterman is owned by McWane, and the assets of the company were acquired by McWane group in 2018. It is now operating as a part of McWane group. Prior to that the company was a manufacturer of water equipment since its inception.
Does Waterman make irrigation valves and canal gates?
Waterman is engaged in the manufacturing of casting and fabricated canal gates, drainage gates, gate lifts and operators, riser valves and hydrants for agricultural delivery systems, butterfly valves, air-release and vacuum valves, sand media filters, and automated water management systems.
Is Waterman related to Eagle Fittings?
Waterman and Eagle Fittings are not related. Eagle Fittings manufactures hygienic stainless steel fittings and valves, while Waterman designs large municipal and irrigation water management solutions.
References
- Waterman Industries — Official Website
- Waterman — LinkedIn Company Profile
- McWane Group — Corporate Overview
Conclusion
Waterman (watermanusa.com) is an entrenched American producer of water management equipment. The establishment of the company can be traced back 112 years while the company was producing canal locks, draining locks, elevators, rising valves, hydrants, valves, and automated systems for water control in its factory located in Exeter, California. Today, Waterman has become a part of the McWane group of companies (the relations started in 2018). Waterman is in charge of water in diverse applications starting from irrigation channels and systems and ending with wastewater and hydropower plants. Waterman’s major competitors in the industry are DeZURIK, Val-Matic, Mueller, and other local valve manufacturers. The key feature of Waterman is the company’s extensive experience as well as custom engineering services and production processes applied to manufacturing sanitary fittings for food, beverage, and pharmacological sectors.
