May 25, 2017

 

Leveraging the Science of Water and Sustainability: Achieving Public Health Benefits with PVC Pipe Underground Infrastructure


This month we feature Mayor John Marchand, City of Livermore, CA whose article was published in Mayors Water Council, newsletter of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Water Council. Mayor Marchand is a water quality expert and explains why his municipality has built a science-based, high water quality sustainable water system with PVC pipe.

Below are excerpts from the article, “ Leveraging the Science of Water and Sustainability: Achieving Public Health Benefits with PVC Pipe Underground Infrastructure,” which appeared in Mayors Water Council.

“As mayors, our bottom line has always been public health and safety. I spent my career as a drinking water chemist so one of my top priorities has always been water quality... Prior to becoming a mayor, I spent 40 years dealing with water quality issues. As a result, I have gained an expertise in one of our most pressing public health issues - water quality. The standard, to which I held myself and encouraged others, was to “Strive for perfection, settle for excellence.”

Water Science: Iron Pipe Corrosion and Lead Leaching

“Water quality is a critical issue facing the nation today…The water quality crisis in Michigan highlights the fact that insufficiently treated source water can corrode iron pipes, add discoloring sediments and also leach lead into the system. The internal roughness of iron and cement pipe increases overtime with corrosion and tuberculation. The sediment build up can reduce water flow, cause discoloration, and develop a breeding ground for bacteria, tastes and odors. It can be difficult and costly to mitigate this issue. In Livermore, the only time something is “good enough” is when it is done right. Using PVC pipe is one of the ways that we preserve and maintain water quality.”

Advantages of PVC Pipe

“Upon closer investigation, our Public Works Department realized that most, if not all, of our failures were old steel or cast iron pipes that had failed from corrosion due to soil conditions or failure of cathodic protection. Since those concerns are eliminated with PVC it made sense to make the switch on all of our internal projects. We also found that many developers due to its ease of installation preferred PVC. Because it’s lighter and easier to work with, it reduces costs…The quality of the pipe and the
expected longevity will also result in fewer interruptions in service. In fact, Livermore has not experienced a PVC pipe failure since we switched over to using it in the 1990’s. Furthermore, this reduction in leaks and breaks has resulted in additional conservation of our precious water resources; all the more important during California’s recurring droughts. The use of PVC will also allow the City to increase water pressure to the residents by an average of 25 lbs., further improving quality of life and increasing fire-fighting safety”
 
Click here for article.

Life-Cycle Study Backs PVC Pipe

Below are excerpts of an article from Catherine Kavanaugh, writer for Plastics News, who reports on the Life Cycle Assessment of PVC Water and Sewer Pipe and Comparative Sustainability Analysis of Pipe Materials.

“PVC pipe has the environmental and economical attributes needed for long-lasting water and sewer systems, according to a 128-page report that is said to be the first comprehensive environmental review of underground piping systems in North America. The report was released April 19 by Sustainable Solutions Corp. (SSC), a Royersford, Pa.-based firm that is urging cities to consider the findings when they look at the life-cycle cost of water infrastructure and make piping decisions.”

Click here for report.

“SSC, an environmental consulting firm, was hired to conduct an independent study of PVC pipe for buried infrastructure by the Uni-Bell PVC Pipe Association, which represents North American manufacturers of PVC pipe. SSC's engineers and scientists used life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The peer-reviewed report also includes a comparison of alternative pipe products based on durability, performance and statistics, as well as environmental data when available."
 
“The PVC pipe industry is the only pipe material that has transparently reported their sustainability and environmental impacts," SSC President Tad Radzinski said in a news release. " This is welcome information for both policy makers and utility professionals to make fully informed decisions in their efforts to improve underground infrastructure with sustainable products."

“Radzinski served 10 years as a national expert on waste minimization programs for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency before starting SSC in 2011. He's a mechanical engineer with a master's degree in water resources and environmental engineering as well as an adjunct professor at Villanova University and an active member of the U.S. Green Building Council.”

SSC's report is out as aging infrastructure, pipe corrosion and water quality issues are stirring debate about the best ways to address $1 trillion of drinking water system upgrades identified by the American Water Works Association. The firm says its study evaluates pipe infrastructure in the context of providing sustainable water and sewer service over a 100-year period with minimal risk of degrading water quality while reducing operation costs.

Click here for article.

Restoring Choice Could Fix America’s Water Infrastructure

Here are some excerpts of an op-ed published by Sen. Rick Jones who has represented the 24th Senate District of Michigan since 2010. He serves as the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and vice-chair of the Military and Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security Committee.

“Despite the critical role water plays in our daily life, many of the pipes that deliver water were installed decades ago, and are now corroding, breaking or no longer safe. Unfortunately, Michigan residents understand the dangers and consequences of neglected water systems all too well, after having to endure the tragic effects of a crumbling underground infrastructure for quite some time.”

We Deserve Better

“After years of facing these challenges in the Michigan Legislature, I decided to take a proactive approach to addressing our state’s water infrastructure problems. One of the things we are doing is updating the antiquated regulations that restrict many cities and counties from being able to choose the best option from a wide array of materials when upgrading water systems. In many cases, these regulations force project engineers to use only one predetermined type of material. These overly bureaucratic, nonsensical rules take the decision-making powers away from the experts who are in the best position to select the best and most cost-effective material for the job. I introduced SB 157, the Public Works Quality Materials Procurement Act, to ensure a level playing field so that all materials could compete fairly, in an open process that would restore choice.”

“The bill is simple in what it does — it allows project engineers to consider all materials and select the option that works best for their project. Unlike current restrictions, the legislation is not material-specific and gives no preference to any single pipe material. In fact, the bill states that it “does not limit the professional judgment of the project’s engineer to select any acceptable pipe and piping materials that meet the requirements of the public works project.” With this bill, control will remain firmly with the local engineers who are planning and implementing these projects.”

“In addition to restoring choice, the proposed legislation will provide other benefits. For example, although the bill does not require the automatic selection of the lowest bid, SB 157 will also help lower costs because it will allow for competition between materials. A study by BCC Research, which examined how open competition could impact water projects in Michigan, found that it would result in potential cost savings of 27 to 34 percent, regardless of which material is chosen. That translates to a total cost savings of $114,154 per mile of pipe, which could be used to fund other projects or provide relief to taxpayers.

Click here for article.

Regards,

Bruce Hollands
Executive Director | Uni-Bell PVC Pipe Association
2711 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1000 | Dallas, TX 75234
T. 972.243.3902 ext. 1019 | F. 972.243.3907
www.uni-bell.org