A recent water pipe project at a major university involved installing dual 36-inch DI pipelines underneath a critical building on campus. The lines were installed to transport water to a chiller system to cool other buildings.
The piping material selected for this project was Ductile iron because of its ability to withstand ground shift and heavy pressures from the structure that rests above it. PVC, being weak in nature, tends to burst into small pieces due to heavy pressures versus stronger materials such as DI that will not obliterate.
PVC failures also have a history of being catastrophic. That is, not just a loss of some water or water pressure but a TOTAL LOSS of water. This instability is a severe issue for seismic prone areas. Not only is there a threat of damage from earthquakes, but also vulnerability to destruction from fires that typically follow the earthquakes. If there’s no water, there’s no fire protection.
PVC pipe can also be adversely affected in areas prone to wildfires. For example, the City of Santa Rosa, California estimates the repair of the contaminated Fountain Grove water system could take up to two years. Test results conducted on PVC pipelines indicated they absorbed benzene and other chemicals, resulting in an advisory to residents to not drink or bathe in the water. Replacement costs are estimated at more than $43 million dollars.
Permeation
DI pipe is impermeable and protects the water supply from toxic infiltration. The C909-16 Molecularly Oriented Polyvinyl Chloride Standard states that polyvinyl chloride may be subject to permeation by low molecular weight organic solvents or petroleum products. Why take a chance with a permeable material?
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