It’s critical to choose the right pipes for water projects, because drinking water is often at stake. Corroding pipes can leak human waste into nearby groundwater. Corrosion can also contaminate water with copper, which leads to kidney and liver damage, and lead, which can cause developmental delays in children. Whether you’re working on a new project or rebuilding aged infrastructure, you need pipes made with materials you can depend on. More builders are choosing PVC because of its safety benefits, but there are other reasons to use PVC pipe in water projects, too.
PVC Won’t Leak
Pipe walls made with PVC (polyvinyl chloride) are strong and lightweight. They’re also exceptionally smooth, repelling sediment, bacteria, and particles that would accumulate otherwise in waste systems. It doesn’t corrode from the inside or outside, and PVC doesn’t even need the protective coatings or sleeving that other materials need. It’s resistant to nearly every chemical found in wastewater, it’s erosion-proof, and can withstand surface damage as well.
PVC Can Last a Century
That’s correct; the life expectation for PVC is 110 years. It’s been used as both a sewer and water main material as far back as the 1950s—a proven track record that shows no signs of stopping.
PVC Saves Energy
Manufacturing pipes with PVC use nearly 100 percent of its material, eliminating the waste that other materials create. It also takes four times less energy to make a PVC pipe than a concrete pipe, and half the energy of an iron pipe.
PVC Conserves Water
Because PVC pipes are so smooth, liquids can move more quickly and efficiently through them, reducing pumping costs. PVC is also able to bend without breaking, so pipe joints don’t leak. This means that water loss is eliminated, as opposed to older technology that could expect to lose 40 percent of its water.
PVC Is Low Maintenance
PVC’s corrosion resistance means dramatically fewer repairs. In addition, any needed parts are available in any maintenance store.
PVC Saves Money
Since PVC pipes don’t need added protection such as coatings, it’s easier to make and requires fewer materials. Installation is more efficient, and there won’t be any replacement concerns for the next 100 years.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that more than $743 billion is needed to improve aging water infrastructure. One of the main reasons to use PVC pipe in water projects is to avoid these crises in the future. Miller Plastics has five decades of experience in plastic custom fabrication and can attest that PVC is a great choice. Contact us for a quote for your project, or visit us in Burgettstown, PA, near Pittsburgh.
