Recently, there have been multiple unsuccessful attempts by plastic pipe manufacturers and their trade associations to have legislation passed, mostly on the state level, requiring utilities to specify plastic pipes on their projects.
This legislation is a subject worth exploring deeper as it is being promoted by supporters of plastic and their lobbyists as a fiscally responsible requirement. Still, it provides no consideration for the many variables required in material selection or pipeline design; all are completely ignored in the proposed legislation which would ultimately be an "initial price only" comparison.
Every summer, I go backpacking with my family into the Uinta Mountains of Utah. The Uinta mountain range is enormous, very remote, and extremely beautiful. One of the most scenic areas in the entire range is called Red Castle. In this area of the Uintas rises a towering red monolith with peaks that reach straight into the sky, hence the name. Getting there requires a grueling 10-mile trek, but the beauty and serenity are well worth the effort...
I have given several presentations wherein I have identified the distribution system of a water utility as The Forgotten City: Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Although the most significant capital investment for a water system is its pipeline infrastructure, many times, it gets less attention than other components such as pumps, motors, plant structures, pump stations, and even fire hydrants, all of which are visible to the eye. One mysterious component to some water utilities is Unaccounted for Water. Some say that, like death and taxes, Unaccounted for Water will always be present, with the only issue being the degree to which it pervades.
In today’s world, we all recognize the need to be concerned with our environment and natural resources. We all realize that these things are limited and not self-restoring. We now have several generations that have always had recycling and environmental awareness in their lives. This post drills deeper into the question What is the Recycled Content of Ductile Iron Pipe and Why Is It Important?
“Why should I use Ductile iron pipe?”
The question is ostensibly meant to include “instead of other types of piping material.” Well, the reasons are vast and vary depending on project requirements. Since we aren’t talking about a specific project, we’ll look at the general overriding reasons Ductile iron pipe is the best choice for your piping projects.
Moving Forward
Presently, in our industry, two essential components of a successful business include providing water professionals with high-quality, sustainable products in a timely manner, as well as offering outstanding customer service.
However, continued success in our industry depends on the ability of a company to make continuous improvements. In other words, if we do not move forward, we are not only standing still but moving in reverse.
In a continuous effort to make your job easier, we have developed an online submittal builder to quickly and neatly package your personalized presentation.
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Looking for answers to your DI pipe questions? Find decades of Ductile iron expertise with installation guides, videos, tip sheets, training resources, and more in our Learning Center.
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Stop struggling with those hard-to-figure field calculations and put ease and efficiency right at your fingertips with our Pocket Engineer for mobile and desktop devices.
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