How confident are you in your drinking water?

OPINION:

As winter releases its grip, we naturally find ourselves spending more time outdoors. After mowing the lawn, enjoying a hike, or playing a ball game, nothing beats the refreshing taste of a cold glass of water.

But how confident are you that your water is clean? For generations, most Americans have trusted that their tap water is clean and free of chemicals that could create health concerns. That is because there is a very strong likelihood that the pipes that delivered the water to your house have been made from iron, either cast iron or today’s modern Ductile iron pipe. Water utilities across the country employ over 90,000 miles of these pipes to safely deliver water to households nationwide. But increasingly concerns have arisen that some alternative pipe materials in the marketplace may not be as safe, particularly since their production processes involve toxic and volatile chemicals.

As president of the Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association, I am clearly a champion for Ductile iron pipes that are manufactured by our member-companies and used in drinking- and wastewater systems throughout the United States and Canada. Our pipes are manufactured domestically, using at least 90% recycled materials. Plus, they are 100% recyclable, a noteworthy benefit we take pride in something that other material manufacturers, particularly the plastic pipe industry, cannot assert.

The most common type of plastic pipes found in drinking water systems are PVC pipes, which are made from the toxic chemical vinyl chloride. That chemical is currently undergoing a risk evaluation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Given the known health risks, the water industry should closely monitor this review, as it could lead to new restrictions on the use of vinyl chloride. In fact, vinyl chloride has been classified as a human carcinogen since 1974, and the federal government has already banned its use in consumer products such as hair sprays, refrigerants, cosmetics, and drugs.

Strength and Resilience

Water infrastructure is largely “out of sight, out of mind” until something breaks. But the strength and resilience of Ductile iron means that once it’s buried, it will perform without fear of cracking, even in the face of shifting soil, freezing or scorching temperatures, or severe weather events. This unparalleled strength, resilience, and durability ensures that Ductile iron pipes will reliably deliver clean and safe drinking water to communities for generations.

Ductile iron pipe is the technological descendant of cast iron. That means it is known for being strong, long lasting, durable, and can endure significant pressure and the test of time. Decades after its initial installation, utility engineers nationwide recognize that Ductile iron pipe continues to be as reliable as it was on its very first day of operation. This modern advancement builds upon the renowned qualities of cast iron, enhancing its legendary strength and resilience.

With an anticipated service life that runs well over 100 years, Ductile iron pipe is the most economical choice for water distribution when considering their entire lifecycle compared to other materials. This is an important consideration, particularly as utilities across the country look to maximize their infrastructure investments, as the overall value and cost of drinking water pipes should be measured over their entire lifecycle. In other words, a trustworthy and long-lasting service life matters.

Catastrophic Events

In the face of intense weather events, we need assurances that drinking water supplies will be safe once the utilities get operations back online. Yet recent wildfires in California and Colorado have highlighted growing worries about water contamination.

In the aftermath of the Tubbs Fire (2017) and the Camp Fire (2018), concerning levels of the toxic chemical benzene were detected in the drinking water of the impacted towns. Depending on location, some residents in these areas went nearly a year without access to clean drinking water.

Independent researchers have indicated that melted plastic pipes and components in the towns’ drinking water system as a probable source of this contamination.

DIPRA conducted laboratory testing in 2022 that exposed Ductile iron pipe to wildfire like temperatures of at least 1500 F for a period of 45 minutes. After the pipe was removed from the heat and cooled down, the joint was disassembled, and both the gasket and restraining devices were examined. We found that the pipe suffered no observable physical damage, and the joint, which remained leak-free throughout the test, remained in excellent condition with no signs of deterioration.

In a striking contrast, independent testing of plastic drinking water pipes found nearly the exact opposite. Purdue University researchers noted in an article featured in Smart Water Magazine that, “In some of our tests, heat exposure caused more than 100 chemicals to leach from the damaged plastics.” Their study focused on heating plastic water pipes typically utilized in buildings and water systems to assess their reaction to fire conditions.

As a country, we invest a significant amount of money public and private into our nation’s water utilities to guarantee that we can confidently answer the question of whether our tap water is clean and safe. Ductile iron is the superior, made-in-America pipe, designed to convey clean, safe drinking water for generations, ensuring reliability and performance you can count on.

• David Cole is President of the Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA).