Have you ever been asked what lining or coating your Ductile iron pipe material needs to have? Does all pipe in a water or sewer application system need some protective measure to keep the service life of the pipe constant? Ductile iron has been a reliable material for transporting water and wastewater nationwide for many years. Many variations of linings and coating have developed over time, but ceramic-enhanced epoxy and/or (porcelain enamel) glass linings have become the typically specified options. The remainder of this #IronStrong Blog compares these two protective lining options.
Polyethylene Encasement (Polywrap) was first used in 1958 and has successfully protected millions of feet of both cast and Ductile iron pipe (DI pipe). It has been the most popular method of corrosion control for DI pipe throughout the years. Today, it is the most widely used method of protecting DI pipe in corrosive environments.
We in the United States are most fortunate, for the most part, to have access to safe, clean drinking water. Even when traveling, we are not hesitant to draw water from a hotel faucet to brush our teeth or even fill a glass to drink. This privilege is no accident.
Whenever the word "rating" is used regarding Ductile iron pipe (DI pipe), a 100-psi surge allowance and a safety factor of 2.0 are consistently included for all wall classes. This leads to conservative yet versatile designs for the long-term performance of utility pipelines of all kinds in various or changing conditions. Hence the basic universal rating for DI pipe is 350-psi which equates to a minimum of 900-psi of hydrostatic pressure containment within the pipeline.
What is National Skilled Trades Day, and what is its importance? National Skilled Trades Day is celebrated on the first Wednesday in May. City Machine Technologies, Inc. founded National Skilled Trades Day to bring awareness to the skilled trades shortage facing the United States. The day also celebrates those who work in the trades, shedding a positive light and celebrating the importance of skilled trades jobs. Many highly skilled workers fill a multitude of careers across our nation, including construction, healthcare, manufacturing, and service industries.
During the decades in which I have managed large and small water utilities throughout the country, I have experienced several challenging scenarios. Whether it was a major oil spill in the river that provided our raw water supply, a winter with sub-zero temperatures and no snow cover where small water mains were frozen solid in the ground, or the total transitioning from a groundwater source to a surface water source with all the different treatment methodology involved, I had never considered the terminology “the new normal.”
The waterworks and water utility industry were not spared from the shortages of finished products essential to maintaining and expanding drinking water systems nationwide. However, much progress has been made in recent months to improve this situation. This updated Iron Strong Blog of a content piece first posted on March 23, 2023, will discuss McWane Ductile’s current delivery and inventory position to the waterworks community and will correct the persisting misconception that Ductile iron pipe products are currently unattainable.
My local water utility recently contacted our home to inform us they were turning the water off from noon to 6:00 p.m. to repair a newly discovered water leak. This situation made me think about water loss, specifically how long the water line had been leaking, how many gallons of treated water was lost, and how a utility keeps up with water loss. This Iron Strong Blog describes the various components of a Water Loss Control Plan (WLCP) and the importance Ductile iron pipe (DI pipe) plays in an overall water management strategy.
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