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
|