AN EXAMPLE TO BEWARE OF
The Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA), a trade group, likes to call attention to select cities in America that have used cast iron pipes for 100 years. But it’s well known these pipes expire well short of the century mark, requiring high operating costs and expensive maintenance due to corrosion and water main breaks. DIPRA equates the ‘longevity’ of these pipes to ductile iron ones - which are thinner, even less durable, and have an even shorter lifespan than cast iron. A 2011 report by the American Water Works Association found that thin-walled metallic pipes in moderately corrosive soils have a life expectancy of only 11-14 years. The finding is significant considering that 75 percent of all water utilities operate in corrosive soil conditions. But a closer look at the pipe problems many of these cities have experienced, which are often closed to competition from corrosion-proof PVC, makes us wonder why these “century cities” are lauded by DIPRA …