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.
Rumors have been circulating that AWWA standards allow gasketed pipe to leak. In fact, some websites for fused HDPE pipe include calculators that show huge “allowable” water-loss quantities based on this misperception. Nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is that AWWA standards do not allow pipes to leak. AWWA documents include pressure and leakage tests to verify that newly installed pipelines have proper materials and installation. These documents include what is known as “make-up water” to accommodate variables in testing such as entrapped air, movement of pipeline components, and slight increase in pipe diameter. However, the standards state that leaks discovered during testing must be repaired. Click here for the Tech Brief on this subject.
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