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| November Issue Post Date 11/18/05 | www.mcelroy.com | |
| CONTENTS |
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Note From The Editor 97-year-old Arthur Moore peers down into an open ditch to inspect a new 2-inch polyethylene water line for his 136-tap rural water district in Northeastern Oklahoma . He shuffles his boots as he goes and the white hair and unhurried movements seem out of place on a construction site. Nevertheless, Moore is up to the job and it is fitting that he is the inspector of the pipeline because in many aspects, it is his water district. He was the visionary who started the water company eons ago which has the bragging rights of being the first rural water district in Osage County Oklahoma and the second for the entire state. He is still a member of the water board, which holds its monthly meetings in his living room where he has lobbied for the past several years for the use of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe for the district’s much needed infrastructure rehabilitation. They’re finally taking the old man’s advice. “We need to look down the road past the end of our nose into the future,” says Moore while wearing an irony-laced grin. He bends over and gives a sharp whack to the pipe with the end of his walking stick and says, “It’s the best pipe we could put in the ground because we’ll never have to come back and fix it.” From small rural water districts to giant municipalities like Houston and Los Angeles , HDPE is finding its way into water systems and proving to be a piping material with benefits that can no longer be ignored. State and Federal Governments are also getting into the act with their own HDPE pilot projects and everyone using the pipe has a few common goals driving their efforts – conservation of water through elimination of leaks, reduction of maintenance costs over a long-life expectancy, and upfront savings on installation.
Drew L. Wilson; Editor Call for HDPE Projects Drew L. Wilson; Editor
McElroy In The News Most people are aware that around 80 percent of the world is covered by water — and possibly it’s that knowledge that allows us to take it for granted. Because if you think about it, what is the only beverage you can get for free at a restaurant? What’s the only liquid in the house you don’t seem to mind pouring gallons of down the drain? Ironically, water also happens to be vital to our survival and only about 1 percent of the world’s entire supply is actually drinkable and accessible. Recently, the value of drinking water has become a little clearer. In 2002, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its Clean Water and Drinking Water Infrastructure Gap Analysis, estimating the spending required to avoid falling behind in infrastructure replacement over the next 20 years. The realizations that followed gave the quality of the water infrastructure some long-overdue attention — spurring important discussion throughout the industry. Read Article Oil of the 21 st Century The federal government is prepared to impose water restrictions along the Colorado River. Water use in the South Platte River basin, which serves Denver and other Front Range cities, is expected to increase 53% during the next 26 years. The Supreme Court let stand a decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that was a setback for groups seeking to limit federal control over state waters. A proposal that lays the foundation for doling out scarce water supplies in dry times is being criticized by ranchers, environmentalists, cities, water associations and industry representatives. Read Article
Links North American Society for Trenchless Technology American Water Works Association American Society of Civil Engineers Foundation Newsletter Links Water World - Receive news from WaterWorld, Industrial Waterworld and Water & Wastewater International. Water Tech Online North American Society of Trenchless Technology Insider and Pipeline Newsletter If you would like a link to your newsletter posted in McElroy Connections, contact Drew L. Wilson at 918-831-9286 or McElroy Connections welcomes your feedback, story ideas, tips, or anything else related to PE Pipe and Pipe fusion. Please email your comments and story ideas to: FOR NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS: To subscribe, visit http://www.mcelroy.com/fusion/forms/newsletter.htm McElroy Connections is published by McElroy Manufacturing Inc. The information contained within each issue is meant as a service to our customers, distributors, and those involved with Polyethylene Pipe applications. |
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