January 10, 2013

Expect Demands for Open Competition for Piping to Continue in 2013 as Cash-Strapped Governments Search for Savings and Efficiencies

Today, some water utility officials in America continue to exclude more durable and cost-effective piping materials like PVC because they have not updated their procurement policies. With double-digit water and sewer rates to contend with owing to the continued use of corrosion-prone iron piping in underground infrastructure, policy makers at all levels of government are demanding that water and sewer systems be more effectively managed. One way to do this is through open competition, a longstanding American value.

The articles below were published in late 2012 but they provide a guide as to what we can expect in the year ahead, as the United States strives to reinvigorate technological innovation in the water and wastewater sector through open bidding and free market principles.


Proposed State Legislation Would Require Localities to Include All Proven Water and Sewer Piping in Bids

In an effort to drive innovation and reduce rising water and sewer rates, the American Legislative Exchange Council, a non-partisan association of state legislators favoring free-market initiatives, recently adopted model legislation that would require state and local governments to " ensure that open procurement procedures are utilized in the selection of piping materials for water and wastewater infrastructure projects where state funding is used."

In states where this legislation is adopted municipalities will have to include all proven piping materials in their bids for water and sewer projects – like environmentally safe, corrosion-proof and more durable PVC pipe, which can be up to 70 percent less expensive than iron pipe. According to the legislation, a “piping material is considered proven and acceptable if it meets current and recognized standards as issued by the American Society of Testing and Material (ASTM) and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and other recognized standards and certification agencies.”

See: Fixing America’s Water Infrastructure Requires Competition and Innovation


Former Councilor Calls on Municipalities to Reform Procurement Practices for Underground Infrastructure

Jeff Edgens, a former councilor from the City of Irwinton, Georgia is calling on local governments to reform their procurement practices for water and sewer piping to save scarce taxpayer dollars. “Open competition will drive down costs and encourage the use of better materials like corrosion-resistant PVC pipe,” says Edgens. Mr. Edgens is an assistant professor of political science with East Georgia State College and an adjunct scholar with the Competitive Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C.

His articles appeared in the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Rome News Tribune and The Augusta Chronicle:

• Edgens: A Fix for Aging Water Lines
• Guest Column: Competitive Bidding Solves Rome's Water Problems
• Competitive Bidding Solves Water Problems One Drip at a Time

Regards,

Bruce Hollands
Executive Director | Uni-Bell PVC Pipe Association
2711 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1000 | Dallas, TX 75234
T. 972.243.3902 ext. 1019 | C. 214.244.9202 | F. 972.243.3907
www.uni-bell.org