The lifecycle of current HDPE pipes

in potable water applications

Camille George Rubeiz, PE

Director of Engineering, Plastics Pipe Institute
[email protected]

AWWA Hawaii Section 36th Annual Conference

Honolulu, HI, May 18-21, 2010
Outline
PPI
Introduction
Features and Benefits of PE
Trenchless construction
Resistance to earthquakes/Hurricanes/Tsunamis
Corrosion cost; Water loss; Life cycle cost
Fatigue Life
Permeation
PE 4710
Current R & D (Jana Lab/PPI):
Service life evaluations
Case studies
The PE life cycle (Suez Env.)
Lifetime prediction of a Blue PE 100 .. (Bodycote PDL/EXOVA)
Chlorine Dioxide
Other work: Engineering Services (UGSI)
Summary

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PPI
Divisions: Municipal and Industrial; Plumbing; Corrugated; Gas; Conduit

contributing to the development of standards

educating designers, installers, users and government officials
publishing up-to-date technical and general reports
collecting and publishing industry statistics
establishing forums for problem solving and new idea generation
maintaining liaisons with industry, educational and government groups
providing a technical focus for the plastics piping industry
supplying associated web sites with up-to-date information

Hydrostatic Stress Board (HSB)

Since 1958, the HSB has worked as a volunteer group under PPI's auspices to define appropriate test
procedures and issue recommendations for long-term strength. The HSB's recommendations are often
referenced by North American plastics piping standards for the qualifying of thermoplastic piping
materials for pressure piping service, and for the establishment of pipe pressure ratings.

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 HDPE Equipment Manufacturers
PPI- Municipal & Industrial Members (55) American Maplan Corp.
Fast Fusion
HDPE Pipe Manufacturers (14) Georg Fischer Central Plastics, LLC
A-D Technologies IPEX/FRIATEC Incorporated
ADS (Advanced Drainage System, Inc.) Milacron, Inc.
Boreflex/Lamson Pipe McElroy Mfg., Inc.
Charter Plastics, Inc. Ritmo America
Endot Industries Inc.
Flying W Plastics HDPE Resin, Resin Concentrate, Catalyst & Additive Manufacturer
Global Poly Systems
Chevron Phillips
Independent Pipe Products Inc.
CIBA
J-M Manufacturing Company
Dow Chemical
KWH Pipe Ltd.
Formosa Plastics Corp., USA
National Pipe & Plastics, Inc.
Ingenia Polymers Group
Performance Pipe, a Division of Chevron Phillips
Ineos
PolyPipe, Inc.
LyondellBasell Industries
WL Plastics
NOVA Chemicals
PolyOne Corp
HDPE Valves, Coupling & Fitting Manufacturers Spartech Color & Specialty Compounds
High Country Fusion Company Inc. TOTAL Petrochemicals, Inc.
Improved Piping Products, Inc.
Industrial Pipe Fittings, LLC Professional Members
Nupi Americas
Alliance for PE Pipe
Poly-Cam, Inc.
Gas Technology Institute
Hauser Laboratories
Jana Laboratories
HDPE Distribution Members NSF International
A.H. McElroy Sales and Service (Canada) W R Grace
Ferguson Industrial Plastics TRI Environmental
Forrer Supply Company
HD Supply Individual Members
ISCO Industries Frank Volgstadt
Sandale Utility Products, Inc. Palermo Plastics Pipe Consulting

Foreign Affiliate
Amiantit Oman; Dadex Eternit Ltd; Polyplastic Group

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Introduction
PE pipes have provided decades of exceptional performance in N.
America and Europe in potable water and other applications.
In the past 10 years alone, the PE industry (in US + Canada) has
installed an estimated 3 billion feet of potable water service tubes,
distribution and transmission pipes.
With aggressive operating conditions (aggressive water quality, high
stress, high temperature) the performance of all pipes need to be
examined more closely
PE industry continues to improve materials, clarify operational
parameters to help engineers and utilities design and operate better
systems based on specific operating conditions.
To enable this research, we have partnered with multiple cities in the
US and invite you to assist in identifying the local operating conditions
and to provide us with pipe samples (potable water) for analysis to
understand your conditions.

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Introduction
Every pipe can fail if designed/installed improperly or operated in
aggressive conditions

For example, the Unibell Handbook refers to a study by NRC of Canada

that documented the average “Water Main Break Data …”
PVC: 0.7 breaks/100 KM/year
DI: 9.5 “ “
For the 300 million ft. of PVC: results in 661 breaks / year
For every 1 million ft. of DI: 29 “ “

In the last 10 years alone, ~3 billion feet (estimated) of PE potable water

pipe and tubing were installed in the US and Canada with an excellent
performance record and with minimal breakage. Every break is important
and need your help to identify it.

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Features & Benefits Trenchless Construction

PE is the material of choice for trenchless construction.

ASTM F585: (sliplining) Standard Practice for Insertion of Flexible

Polyethylene Pipe Into Existing Sewer. Also, refer to PPI H/bk, chp 11

ASTM F1962: (HDD) Use of Maxi-Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) for

Placement of Polyethylene Pipe or Conduit Under Obstacles, including
River Crossings.
Also, refer to ASCE MOP 108; PPI H/bk, Chp 12 and PPI TR 46 for Mini-
HDD applications

Pipe Bursting
- ASCE MOP 112 and PPI PE H/bk, Chp. 16
- 9,000 miles of PE pipe installed by pipe bursting world wide, British Gas
- PE used to rehab water mains, gravity and force main sewers, and gas
lines. Upsize: Common (0-25%), Challenging (25-50%), Experimental
(50-125%)

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Trenchless Construction- HDD
HDD Pipe Market Share

45.00%
40.00%
35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
% share
20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
HDPE PVC DI Steel Other
Type of Pipe

Underground Construction,
June 2007, 9th Annual Survey

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 HDD Case Studies
Calgary Water (PE 4710/PE100) Project: Spruce Trees Untouched as Water Rehab Project Goes On
City of Palo Alto, CA- Using HDPE 4710 for Water Main Replacement Projects
New HDPE (PE 100) Demonstrates Benefits with Michigan Project
Floating Pipes Pulled Underground
Frontier Pipeline Completes Record Setting Rock Drills
Pipeline staging area includes land and water
HDD Project Solves Water Supply Problem for Canadian Yacht Club
Wisconsin Contractor Successfully Completes Challenging HDD Bores for Sewer Project
Colorado Springs - HDPE Pipe Directionally Drilled to Protect Environmentally Sensitive Colorado Springs Landmark
Kansas’ oldest city getting new water mains
Utilities Kingston, Great Cataraqui River Utilities Crossing Project, Kingston, Ontario
Gannett Fleming, Elizabeth River Crossing, Norfolk, Virginia
EBI Drilling projects in Wisconsin
TT Technology, Sauk River, St Cloud, Minnesota
Rosebud Sioux Rural Water System, South Dakota
Water World, Emergency HDPE Pipeline Helps Save City from Drought, Corsicana, Texas
EBI Drilling projects in Michigan
Water Online, DFW Insures Environmental Protection with HDPE
Environmental Crossings, St Joseph River Crossing in Indiana, and Crossing of the Shipping Channel at Port Canaveral, Florida
HDPE pipe crosses the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal
St. Petersburg initiates an 18-year $100 million water main replacement program
MEARS Chincoteague Channel/Black Narrows Crossing, Chincoteague, VA
MEARS JEA Beaver Street Wetland Crossing, Jacksonville, FL
MEARS JEA Riverside Avenue Crossing Jacksonville, FL
Indian Rocks Beach Crossing Florida
Chesapeake Beach, Maryland
ARB Port of Los Angeles

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Pipe Bursting Case Studies

Oregon - HDPE Pipe Improves Water Supply and Lives Of Student Trainees in Government Pilot Project
How to be Enviromnentally Progressive, save Infrastructure in Tough Economic Times
HDPE Pipe Brings Life Back to Miami-Date Water System
Lansing, MI: Trenchless Water Main Replacement – A First In The Capital Of Michigan
HDPE replaces AC and PVC: CDM, Everglades Pipe-Bursting Approach to Replacing Water Lines
HDPE used to increase pipe size from 6" to 8": RJN, Pipe Bursting Water Lines in Limited Access Locations
HDPE used to replace CI and VCP: TT Technology, 3 Lateral Pipe Bursting in California
HDPE used to replace CI and DI: TT Technology, NIBCO Solutions take on Ductile Iron Bursting in Illinois
HDPE used to replace CI: TT Technology, Trenchless pipe bursting having a big impact on the utility construction industry
HDPE used to replace CI: TT Technology, Louisville Water Company: targeting trenchless water main replacement
HDPE used to replace concrete: TT Technology, Total Rehab- entire town gets new sewer
HDPE used to replace, CI, DI and steel: TT Technology, Winning the water war: Pipe bursting at the LA department of water
and power
Pipe eludes corrosion issues

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Trenchless Construction- Resources
All PPI resources are available
online for free download
www.plasticpipe.org Engineering Slip lining
• AWWA C901-08 for ½” - 3” water Properties
service H. Directional Marine
• AWWA C906-07 for 4” – 63” water Drilling Applications
distribution and transmission Pipe & Fittings Inspections,
• AWWA M55-06 for design and Manufacturing Tests and Safety
installation Joining Above Ground
Procedures Applications
Underground Specs and Test
Installations Methods
Design Pipe Bursting

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Features & Benefits …
Earthquake Vulnerability of Buried Pipelines http://www.normas.com/ASCE/pages/40658.html
(ASCE, Seismic Screening Checklists For Water and Wastewater Facilities, 2003, p 44)

Material Low Low to Moderate Moderate High

Type Vulnerability Moderate to High

PE AWWA C906

Ductile C1xx
Steel C2xx
Concrete C300,
C303
PVC C900,
C905
Cast Iron
V. Clay
Asbestos C. c4xx

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Features & Benefits …
Largest Recorded Earthquakes in each US State

•Hawaii (and CA) have experienced the 4th largest magnitude earthquake
in US history

•Only MO, AR, AK (9.2) experienced higher magnitude earthquakes

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Tsunami Resistance
Curtis Edwards, P.E., Vice President, Pountney Psomas – Thailand
Team Leader, ASCE sent three teams to the tsunami disaster zone to
conduct damage assessments. http://www.asce.org/page/?id=160

February 3, 2005 “One of the surprising findings of this investigation is

the prevalent use of high-density polyethylene piping for potable
water. Much of this piping was exposed due to erosion and subjected to
harsh conditions from debris and waves. The piping performed very
well, with few failures. The material is flexible, allowing it to conform to
new contours after the erosion. It is also very light, making repairs very
easy…’

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Hurricane Resistance
Ron Lilly, Corinth Gas- American Public Gas
Association Newsletter, Oct. 10, 2005 on the Katrina
Hurricane.

‘The PE (gas) pipe maintained its integrity. The sewer pipe,

the water pipe, the house, and the land didn’t’.

*************
The Honolulu Advertiser, May 20, 2010
Gov. Linda “Lingle urges residents to prepare for possibility
of severe hit during season”
“Fewer hurricanes forecast for central pacific this year”

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Features & Benefits … Corrosion Cost

Annual U.S. cost of corrosion for water and sewer systems (FHWA, 2002)
http://www.corrosioncost.com/utilities/water/index.htm

Drinking water ($20bn) + Sewer ($13bn) + un-accounted for water ($3bn) = $36 bn

$36 Billion $0
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 Features & Benefits Allowable Leakage of Precious Water

HDPE (AWWA M55, 1st ed., p. 130) ZERO

For other materials, refer to the relevant AWWA manuals

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Features & Benefits … State Water Loss Standards - 2001
Applying Worldwide Best Management Practices in Water Loss Control, AWWA Water Loss Control
Committee Report, AWWA Journal, August 2003.

1996 AWWA Water Stats Survey found

losses ranging from 1% to 99%
20%

15% 10%
15% 15%
15%
20%
15%
20% 15%
15%
10% 15% 10% 15%
15%
15% 7.5%
10%
20%
15%
10%

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Features & Benefits … Life Cycle Cost (CSIRO/PPI - PP XIV)
http://www.pepipe.org/uploads/pdfs/Life_Cycle_Cost_Study.pdf

Chart represents a medium sized

network with ~100,000 customers.

“The lower cost for the polyethylene network is due to two main reasons. Firstly,
because its failure rate is low, the cost per mile for repair/replacement is also low…”
The second major benefit of PE networks is fusion-welded joints which ensure very
low leakage rates and thus low water loss costs.”

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Features & Benefits … Fatigue Life

http://www.performancepipe.com/bl/performancepipe/en-us/Documents/PP402%20Fatigue.PDF

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Features & Benefits … Permeation
http://plasticpipe.org/pdf/ppi-comment-permeation-hydrocarbons.pdf

All AWWA pipe standards contain similar permeation statement for PE,
PEX, PVC, Steel, DI, …

“Reports of permeation incidents involving potable water distribution are

rare, with reports of 1 incident per 14,000 miles of mains and 0.9 incidents
per million service connections in this survey.” AWWA-RF p. XXII

“… any PVC pipe that does become permeated without bursting should be
replaced because remediation is not feasible.” AWWA-RF p. 175

“… 43% of reported permeation incidents involved PB pipe, 39% involved PE pipe,

and 15% involved PVC” AWWA-RF p. 2

“BTEX and chlorinated solvents also soften PVC pipe, … causing it to be

susceptible to permeation in a manner similar to PB and PE.” AWWA-RF p. 3

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Features & Benefits- PE 4710
The PPI Hydrostatic Stress Board set additional performance criteria for
high performance materials.

These materials could be operated at a higher design stress (1000 psi

for PE 4710, instead of 800 psi for PE3608) without sacrificing service
life or safety because the material does not get “weaker” over time and
because short-term burst strength is about 3.5 x HDS
PE material continues to operate in the ductile state
Ensures higher statistical reliability in strength forecast.
ASTM F 1473 slow crack growth resistance indication (PE 4710 PENT = 500
hrs; in contrast, the first PE gas pipe had a PENT value of ~1.5 hrs). Essential
immunity to effects of localized stress intensifications.

Implemented in most ASTM Standards and in AWWA C901-08.

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Features & Benefits- PE 4710
Older PE materials had stress
regression curves showing
transition to “brittle” type failures.

Higher performance PE materials (~ PE

4710)

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Current R&D … Service Life Evaluation (Jana/PPI 2009)
http://www.janalab.com/pdf/Service%20Life%20Evaluation%20Final%20with%20Abstract.pdf

Oxidation Induction Time

(OIT)
Indirect measure of
level of stabilization Simple use of OIT or Carbonyl
Ratio (or both together) as a direct
Measures time to
indication of remaining service life
oxidize in oxygen
is not possible and can be
environment at 200
oC misleading.

Carbonyl Ratio
Therefore, forecasting of residual
Measured through
pipe lifetime can be achieved by
FTIR (Fourier
exhuming in service piping, testing
Transform Infra-red)
to ASTM F2263 and considering
Measure of relative the utility’s specific operating
level of oxidation conditions

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Current R&D … Service Life Evaluation (ASTM D3895 - 07
Standard Test Method for Oxidative-Induction Time …)
http://www.astm.org/Standards/D3895.htm

“Significance and Use

The OIT is a qualitative assessment of the level (or degree) of stabilization of the
material tested. This test can be used as a quality control measure to monitor the
stabilization level in formulated resin as received from a supplier, prior to extrusion.

Note 2—The OIT measurement is an accelerated thermal-aging test and as such can
be misleading. Caution should be exercised in data interpretation since oxidation
reaction kinetics are a function of temperature and the inherent properties of the
additives contained in the sample. For example, OIT results are often used to select
optimum resin formulations. Volatile antioxidants may generate poor OIT results even
though they may perform adequately at the intended use temperature of the finished
product.

Note 3—There is no accepted sampling procedure, nor have any definitive

relationships been established for comparing OIT values on field samples to those on
unused products, hence the use of such values for determining life expectancy is
uncertain and subjective. “

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 Current R&D … Case Studies (Jana/PPI 2009)
http://www.janalab.com/pdf/PE%20Chlorine%20Report%20-%20Final-2.pdf

The PE industry has been working proactively to develop long-term

validation methodologies for the Stage III brittle-oxidative regime.
General Approach:
Data for current generation PE materials
Testing in progress per ASTM F2263 and for actual utility end-use
conditions used in model
The methodology developed in this study provides a significant
advancement over other approaches (OIT, …) and provides a means
for forecasting specific pipe performance as a function of operating
conditions
To simplify analysis:
Standardized on DR11
Did not scale for pipe size (conservative approach)
Conservative approach to chloramines – set ORP to 650 mV

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Current R&D … Case Studies
• “Case studies for four utilities and a modeled average utility show
that greater than 100 years performance is projected for higher
performance PE 3408 and PE 4710” in potable water applications.
• At aggressive conditions (aggressive water quality, high stress, high
temperature) performance of potable water pipes needs to be
examined more closely
Indiana Florida North Palo Alto Avg. US
Carolina CA Utility
Avg. disinfectant 1.6 1.4 0.9 1.9 -
residual, ppm
Avg. pH 7.7 9.3 8.6 9.0 -
Estimated ORP, mV 650 650 680 650 650

Avg. water temperature 57oF 79oF 68oF 61oF 57oF

(Avg. range)
(34-84) oF (55-82) oF (37-84) oF
Avg. operating 70 70 70 65 70
pressure, psi

Projected performance
in the brittle
oxidative regime > 100 Years

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Current R&D … The Polyethylene Life Cycle (Suez Environment 2009)

Same general approach as the Jana Lab model

“… polyethylene is a reliable and cost effective material that is easy to

install and that can be used in most cases …”

Shows that high temperature, disinfectant type/ concentration and high

pressure impacts the service life of PE

“the pipe thickness is an important factor…, additional thickness will

increase longevity… small diameter connections will be more affected
as the pipe thickness decreases.”

“ there are solutions: …a new generation of products that are chlorinated

disinfectant resistant is possible. The performance of PEX or cross
linked polyethylene used in domestic hot water systems is also good.”

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Current R&D … Lifetime Prediction of a Blue PE 100 Water Pipe
(Bodycote PDL/EXOVA 2008)

Research funded by the UK Water Companies: Veolia Water, Thames

Water, United Utilities, …

“Lifetime prediction over the range of 10-25oC proved to exceed 50-year

life time requirements.”

“ … the use of stabilizers such as HALS has the ability to prolong the
service lifetime of PE pipes.”

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Current R & D …. Chlorine Dioxide (Jana /PPI 2010?)

Jana Lab is in process of developing a white paper to estimate the

usage of CLO2

Chlorine dioxide is more aggressive than chlorine

Preliminary results:
Paper estimates less than 200 systems (out of 51,972) of US water utilities use
Chlorine Dioxide as secondary disinfectant

Performance criteria based on ASTM F2263 testing needs to be developed

PEX F2023 CL testing requirements are adequate for CLO2 exposure.

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Other Report: Engineering Systems, Inc (UGSI, 2009)

Report presented what looks like a lot of data and looks very thorough
and includes a lot of pictures and was probably very expensive, but the
contents that should have been included are the established test
protocols that actually assess the lifetime of PE pipes.

For example, the report used OIT or Carbonyl Ratio: the use of these
methods (or both together) as a direct indication of remaining service life
is not possible and can be misleading.

The report should have forecasted residual pipe lifetime by exhuming in

service piping, testing to ASTM F2263 and considering the utility’s
specific operating conditions.

The clearly identified failures (with the exception of the 6” sample) are for
small diameter service tubes and the PE industry will evaluate and need
your help. AWWA 263 Cmt asked the researcher for more information.
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Other Report:

The PE industry now knows of some isolated places in the desert and
unique applications (like CLO2) where pipes did not reach their full
design life

Report highlights concerns in these extreme applications and attempts to

apply conclusions to the entire use of PE in disinfected water
applications.

The PE industry is working to address these issues through proper

research and through AWWA and would appreciate your support and
collaboration to exhume pipe and identify local operating conditions.

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Other Work:
It is not clear which of the samples are failures, and of the failures presented,
many have external factors as listed below:

“While the failures of these pipes can be attributed in many cases to

excessive in-service stress, …
‘Most of the pipe failures that have been investigated have been from
warmer climates, some where the ground temperature may have been
as high as 100 degrees F at times.”
“Several of these samples appeared to have failed due to rock
impingement …”
“The service times for these samples ranged from a little over one year
to over 30 years.” with limited information on the operating conditions
and type of materials associated with these samples.

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Summary
PE pipes have provided decades of exceptional performance in the US,
Canada and Europe in potable and other applications due to its
durability and resistance to earthquakes, tsunami, hurricane, corrosion,
fatigue, zero leakage and lowest life cycle cost

In the past 10 years alone, the PE industry (In US + Canada) has

installed an estimated 3 billion feet of water service tubes, distribution
and transmission pipes

PE is the material of choice for trenchless methods that provide the most
cost effective solutions (depending on local soil conditions)

Every pipe can fail if designed/installed improperly or operated in

extreme conditions.

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Summary
The PE industry has been working proactively to develop long-term
validation methodologies for the Stage III brittle-oxidative regime. PE
industry is researching the end-use conditions to refine and expand the
design envelope for potable water applications.

Simple use of OIT or Carbonyl Ratio (or both together) as a direct

indication of remaining service life is not possible and can be misleading

Forecasting of residual pipe lifetime can be achieved by exhuming in

service piping, testing to ASTM F2263 and considering the utility’s
specific operating conditions.

For CLO2: Performance criteria based on F2263 testing needs to be

developed (PEX F2023 CL testing requirements are adequate for CLO2
exposure).

www.janalab.com
Summary
Case studies for four utilities and a modeled average utility show that
greater than 100 years performance is projected for higher performance
PE 3408 and PE 4710 in specific potable water applications.

Jana’s Lab model is similar to what is being developed now in Europe

With aggressive conditions performance of all type of pipes needs to be

examined more closely

PE industry will continue to improve materials, clarify operational

parameters to help engineers and utilities design better systems.

PE industry has partnered with multiple cities in the US and invite you to
assist in identifying the local operating conditions and to provide us with
pipe samples (potable water) for analysis to understand your conditions.

www.janalab.com
 Mahalo for your time and for your
invitation to your 36th annual meeting
Also, thank you to the conference chair,
Mike Street and section chair Daryl
Hiromoto
I look forward to working with you in the
near future

Credit:
Pictures compliments of Miller Pipelines
Co and City of Palo Alto, CA

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