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North America's underground infrastructure is crumbling at an alarming rate, so smarter, more cost-effective and sustainable practices are needed.
Broader use of PVC pipe would solve this problem and enable municipalities to spend taxpayer dollars more wisely. To do this, local governments and utilities need to modernize outdated procurement practices that ignore corrosion-proof PVC pipe.
Explore our web site and visit my blog to learn about the exceptional performance and environmental attributes of PVC pipe, and why it should be included in every bid for water and wastewater infrastructure. To connect to my blog, bookmark this page or link our Pipe Issues Blog to your RSS feed program.
Industry expert and Uni-Bell PVC Pipe Association President & CEO Bruce Hollands shares the facts.
In the past few years, North America has experienced numerous catastrophic wildfires. Some of these fires have severely impacted water infrastructure, destroying above-ground appurtenances like water meters and hydrants as well as shallow-bury water-service lines. As a result of wildfires, some utilities have detected benzene in their drinking water systems. Some media reports incorrectly suggested PVC water mains were the source of the benzene. Actually, the source of benzene in municipal water systems after a wildfire is from outside contaminants entering the system via damaged service lines into water mains. When a building burns, the service lines that connect to the water mains are damaged — creating gaps where contaminants can enter the water system. As water in the system is used to fight the fire, suction draws in contaminants. This process is called “backflow” and occurs regardless of pipe material. Uni-Bell has written a technical brief that goes deeper into the science behind the issue. The paper is titled “PVC Water Mains: Not a Source of Benzene from Wildfire Events” – click here to view.
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