Technical Blog

Welcome to John’s Blog. Answers to frequently asked questions are periodically posted here. The objective is to share information about PVC pipe with readers as well as with utilities, design engineers and pipe installers. The blog provides the latest information on PVC pipe design, installation, and application for water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

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John Houle: Senior Technical Consultant, PVC Pipe Industry

John Houle holds a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Missouri and an MBA from the University of Oregon. He has more than 25 years of experience in the plastic pipe industry in applications engineering, market development, forensic analysis, technical writing, and standards development.

PFAS Substances: Not a Concern for PVC Pipe

Posted By John Houle on Aug 16, 2024

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been widely used in several industries. Unfortunately, medical science has determined that these chemicals are harmful to human health. In response, the U.S. EPA has set limits on the amount of PFAS allowed in drinking water.

There is good and bad news on this subject:

The bad news is that PFAS are widespread in the environment and may still be present in drinking water in very small quantities.
The good news is that PVC pipe does not contribute to the problem. There are no PFAS in PVC pipe materials, no PFAS produced during pipe manufacturing, and no PFAS created during pipeline operations.
Due to its resistance to permeation, PVC pipe also protects drinking water within the pipe from being impacted by PFAS or other harmful chemicals that may be present in the local environment.

Utilities and their customers can be confident that the use of PVC pipe will not cause PFAS to be present.

Click here for our Tech Brief on PFAS and PVC pipe.