U.S. Water Delivery System: $138 Billion Must be Spent

Pipes Made with Chlorine Chemistry Can Replace Old Water Lines

Virtually all U.S. public water supplies are made safe for drinking by adding chlorine compounds that kill water-born pathogens. The developed world has depended on chlorination for safe water for over 80 years. Chlorine disinfection eliminates cholera, typhoid, dysentery and other water-born killers from public drinking water systems.

Now, some utility officials are turning to chlorine-based polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes to replace the aging metal pipes in water systems. PVC pipe is flexible, allowing it to withstand impacts or earth movements that would break the old-style pipes. It resists external and internal corrosion far better than the old-style metal pipe. Properly installed, it will last hundreds of years.

A recent EPA study found that America will need to invest $138 billion to repair its water transportation infrastructure. The first concern is drinking water quality, because aging pipelines introduce opportunities for contamination from outside sources and bacterial buildup.

The second concern is water loss through leakage. Frightening leakage estimates have emerged in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and developing countries. Only two percent of earth's water is fresh water available for drinking. Responsible stewardship of fresh water is of paramount importance.

Disinfection of water generates "disinfection by-products" (DBPs) which are controlled within regulated, scientifically determined limits by water utilities. EPA has proposed new rules which will further reduce DBPs in water while assuring that water stays safe to drink through the improved use of chlorine chemistry.

PVC pipe solves sewer problems too. A new "fold and form" PVC can be installed inside deteriorating metal sewer pipes to prevent groundwater contamination. The PVC pipes arrive at the installation site coiled. They are heated and unrolled while being guided through a manhole into the damaged pipe. Pressure and steam are then used to expand the pipe so it hugs the interior of the old pipe, sealing cracks and providing a new, non-corrosive delivery system. The PVC pipes stay intact despite further damage or corrosion to the outer pipe, and the entire process can be efficiently completed without digging any trenches.