HDPE pipe adoption is not immediate. It is driven by need and built through education. Over the past two decades, the industry has taken a deliberate approach to equipping municipal owners, engineers, and contractors with the knowledge required to properly evaluate HDPE. Utilities do not typically make a full transition upfront. They start with targeted… >> Read More
East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) is a trusted provider of essential services to over 1.4 million residents in the East Bay area of Northern California. Their core services include: They own and operate 4,200 miles of water lines, have a 10% water loss rate, and rehabilitate 25 miles per year of their water system for… >> Read More
Palo Alto One of the early, committed users of HDPE pipe is the city of Palo Alto in northern California. This utility is responsible for water, wastewater and gas distribution. The head of the utility knew that gas industry well and that industry uses polyethylene almost exclusively. His question was why not use PE for water. … >> Read More
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is a large water and wastewater utility with 1900 miles of water mains serving 1.5 million people each day. They enjoy a respectable 5% water loss rate and see about 200 water main breaks each year. Several years ago the PE Alliance was contacted by SPU engineers and asked to give… >> Read More
The Alliance has collaborated with and educated Austin Water staff for several years. In 2015, several city staff attended a roadshow in nearby Hutto, Texas, with industry partner Gajeske, Inc. During the roadshow, the utility head, Dr. Robert Lamb, engaged with the team and posed numerous, insightful questions. Over time, the utility conducted a few… >> Read More
In a world where urban congestion is a growing concern, the De Halve Maan brewery in Bruges, Belgium, implemented a unique and innovative solution to the problem of brewery truck traffic in a popular tourist town. By installing a 3,300-foot-long underground pipeline made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe, the brewery is now able to transport… >> Read More
The Cape Town water crisis in 2018 was primarily caused by a severe drought and ensuing water shortage in the city and greater region. The crisis was primarily a result of prolonged drought conditions, increased water consumption, and inadequate water infrastructure. To address the water shortage, the city of Cape Town implemented various water-saving measures,… >> Read More
In 2018, 12 Thai boys and their soccer coach became trapped in a flooded cave system. A global rescue effort involving thousands of volunteers and experts was launched. Against all odds, all 13 were rescued alive, their ordeal captivating the world. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes played a crucial role in the rescue operation. These pipes… >> Read More
In April of 2014, the infamous Flint Michigan water crisis began. Flint leadership switched its water source to the Flint River in a cost-cutting measure. The corrosive river water leached lead from aging pipes, exposing residents to dangerous levels of the toxin. Children were particularly affected, suffering developmental delays and other health problems. Despite mounting evidence… >> Read More
This is a great story for the citizens of Fort Lauderdale, Florida and the HDPE community. In 2017, the PE Alliance, ISCO an Murphy Pipelines collaborated on a roadshow in Sunrise, Florida, which is 11 miles from Fort Lauderdale. Four engineers from Fort Lauderdale attended the show, listened to presentations, and watched Murphy Pipelines install… >> Read More
The East Windsor Municipal Authority is an HDPE only city using the thermoplastic pipe for water jobs throughout the township. The Executive Director of the District met the PE Alliance at an AWWA show where he learned about HDPE and pipe bursting. He then invited ISCO and the PE Alliance to conduct a roadshow at his… >> Read More
Waterbury is a city of 115,000 people on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City. Waterbury is the largest city in the Naugatuck Valley Planning RegionWorking with Core & Main, this project is currently being designed using HDPE because of a roadshow and Alliance engineering assistance… >> Read More