The city of Topeka, Kansas experienced 528 water main breaks over the past decade. Once a week, on average, a water main broke in that vicinity causing potential contamination, flooding streets, halting traffic and leaving homes and businesses without water service. Most people don’t think about water infrastructure until something goes wrong. But decisions by local officials about their respective systems have an enormous impact on the lives of people across the nation, which is why it’s important to get the facts right.
One of the most important choices municipalities face is the material selection for their water pipe networks. PVC pipe has increased in popularity, in part, because of its durability advantage over competing products. Research from Utah State University found that PVC pipe has an expected lifespan of more than one hundred years. Other research shows PVC pipe has the lowest break rate of any pipe materials in the U.S. and Canada. And both of those studies back up the experience of Topeka, where iron pipes encounter break rates over 18 times higher than PVC pipes.
PVC pipe is resistant to corrosion from acidic soil – which is common in many parts of the country – and can withstand extreme temperatures without breaking. That means it has to be repaired or replaced far less often than other pipe materials like iron which can have it’s lifespan reduced by as much as 85% with even moderately corrosive soil.
This translates into serious advantages in sustainability compared to competing materials like iron. Fewer repairs and replacements mean less need for heavy equipment powered by fossil fuels. And because PVC is significantly lighter than other pipe materials – like concrete or ductile iron – it can be transported in larger quantities at a time, which translates to fewer trucks on the road.
PVC pipe has been safely used for decades in drinking water systems. Since 1988, NSF International has maintained authorization for the use of PVC pipe in drinking water systems.
Unfortunately, some cities practice a closed bidding process on pipe projects, limiting planners to a specific type of material even though other proven materials, such as PVC pipe, offer taxpayers better value. Often, this favors legacy materials like iron pipe and keeps out modern materials that can do the job longer and at cheaper cost. But it also ends up costing cities more. A report from the United States Conference of Mayors notes that moving to an open bidding process could save localities 30% on material costs for pipe replacement projects even when legacy materials are selected for the job because competition drives prices down. Adopted nationally, this could save $42.8 billion over the next ten years. That’s no small savings in a year where local governments are staring down major revenue shortfalls.
There has been considerable misinformation about PVC pipe in the public discourse. Some have conflated the use of PVC pipe with the very real challenges associated with single-use plastics when the facts tell a very different story. PVC pipe is a durable material that’s built to last, primarily used in construction and infrastructure applications, including piping, for up to and exceeding 100 years. According to the EPA, only 0.8% of all landfilled material is PVC. Moreover, since 2014, there has been a 40% increase in post-consumer vinyl recycling. PVC manufacturers abide by strict regulations designed to safeguard the health and safety of employees and neighboring areas.
Recently, agenda-driven opponents of PVC pipe have inaccurately claimed the material is a primary cause of benzene contamination in water supplies following wildfires. A close examination of the facts proves otherwise.
The CDC recognizes forest fires as the among most common sources of benzene regardless of the presence of PVC pipe. And the U.S. National Library of Medicine notes that benzene “is produced naturally by volcanoes and forest fires.” Water system materials have little to do with benzene detection in water supplies. The most likely source comes from outside contaminants entering water systems via damaged pipes that connect to buildings. And all systems would be susceptible to this kind of contamination – regardless of the pipe material. Wildfires are devastatingly destructive and create a host of environmental and health hazards. Singling out one product that accounts for a minuscule fraction of all the burned materials is irresponsible.
Water infrastructure touches the lives of each and every one of us. When it fails, it hurts everyone. The American Society of Civil Engineers recently gave American water infrastructure a “D+,” and the EPA estimated that needed investment in water infrastructure will cost hundreds of billions of dollars over the next few years.
PVC pipe is a necessary part of any credible plan to address the problems facing our water systems. City planners and taxpayers alike should be able to make informed decisions about the materials that will best serve their local communities. That’s why it’s important for these discussions to be based on facts, not fear mongering or agenda-driven narratives.