New PVC Pipe Projects Replacing Faulty Water Systems Nationwide

Anywhere, U.S.A., Oct. 28, 2010 — With broken water mains and corroded pipe systems failing residents and businesses, more and more municipalities coast to coast and beyond are solving the problem by installing durable PVC pipe systems designed to last into the next century. 

An overview of some PVC pipe projects in just the past six months:

    • Belmont, Mass. – Several PVC pipe projects were completed in September.

    • Perth Amboy/Sayreville, N.J. – The Middlesex Water Company installed a 5,365 linear foot system of fusible 24-inch PVC pipe to replace a faulty cast iron water main.

    • Wilkesboro, N.C. – The new sewer interceptor line is over 1,400 feet of heavy-duty 30-inch PVC pipe.
  
    • Wilson, N.C. – A deteriorating old water main was replaced with a new 12-inch PVC line.

    • Hartsville, S.C. – 6,500 feet of six-inch PVC water lines are being installed to upgrade undersized two-inch lines.
 
    • Tavares, Fla. – World War II-era water and sewer pipes made of cast iron and clay are being replaced with new PVC pipes.

    • Tampa Bay, Fla. – The Mosaic Phosphate plant is replacing several miles of a steel water pipe with PVC pipe.
   
    • Fort Walton Beach, Fla. – A section of Sylvania Heights with low water pressure is getting an upgrade by replacing two-inch water pipes with six-inch PVC pipes.
   
    • Saltillo, Miss. – A seven-year project is underway to replace 47,000 feet of steel pipes under eleven streets with newer, wider PVC lines.

    • New Haven, Ind. – The city plans to replace old, worn water mains that regularly break and cause rusty water with new PVC pipes.

    • Sandspring, Okla.  – 2,800 feet of PVC has replaced a leaky galvanized steel pipeline.

    • Billings, Mont. – A bursting project ran 12-inch PVC pipe through an old 8-inch cast iron pipe, to crack and replace the old pipe, and bring better water flow for residents and more pressure for fire hydrants. 
 
    • San Diego, Calif. – PVC pipe replacement projects are underway in the Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach communities. 

    • Honolulu, Hawaii – 1,500 feet of terra cotta sewer pipe is being replaced with 8- and 10-inch PVC sewer pipe. 

About half of the existing pipe infrastructure in the United States is made of cast iron, installed up to 100 years ago, or ductile iron, much of it installed after World War II.  In the majority of cases, these iron pipe systems have outlived their usefulness in 2010.

According to The Uni-Bell PVC Pipe Association, there are 700 water main breaks a day in North America, which amounts to 250,000 breaks annually.  A running tally of breaks and repair costs in Canada and the U.S. since 2000 can be found at www.watermainbreakclock.com.

Primarily as a result of premature pipe corrosion and breaks, an estimated 2.6 trillion gallons of water are lost in the United States each year, enough water to satisfy the drinking water needs of every man, woman and child on earth for an entire year.

The Vinyl Institute states PVC piping systems have been used successfully in North America since the 1950s in both drinking water and wastewater systems.  Millions of installations still in service function as well as they did the day they were installed, and have been rigorously tested by nationally recognized, independent certifiers for both reliability and safety.  They are strong, provide excellent resistance to both external and internal pipe corrosion, deliver clean drinking water, offer superior flow, resist cracking even when bent or subjected to excessive loads, and have water-tight joints.

And a new study by TNO, a Dutch institute for technical research, states the lifetime of PVC sewer pipes will exceed 100 years under most service conditions.  Various samples were selected for the study through excavation, collection and recycling, and underwent visual and microscopic inspection, geometrical analysis, and tests for deformation, surface roughness, and degradation.  The data was then carefully extrapolated to reach their conclusion that PVC pipe systems will last over a century.

For more information on the Uni-Bell PVC Pipe Association, go to: www.uni-bell.org.

The Vinyl Institute represents the manufacturers involved in the production of PVC/vinyl resin in the United States, and promotes the value of PVC/vinyl products to society. 

For more information on The Vinyl Institute, contact:
Jeffrey B. Palmer
Director of Marketing & Communications
The Vinyl Institute
571-970-3327
jpalmer@vinylinfo.org

Also go to:  www.vinylindesign.com, www.vinylnewsservice.net, and www.achievegreen.net.