Note From The Editor
Greetings Discerning Readers,
Fort Pierce, FL – Florida has a long history of caring for its environment. The state is also renowned for its remarkable engineering efforts which were needed to deal with Florida’s unique topography and delicate ecosystems. Today these concerns remain a top priority and recent clean water issues have state officials once again embracing new engineering procedures to protect the future of their water.
High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipe and trenchless forms of construction are just a couple the tools being used to manage water within the state. But the state’s adoption rate of HDPE is so far ahead of the rest of the country that water managers everywhere are starting to take notice.
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Fusion Technician butt fuses with a McElroy No.14 at a Florida golf course."
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“Large cities like Jacksonville, St. Petersburg, Tampa Bay, and Miami in Florida as well as almost every other major city in the country are undergoing long term rehabilitation projects that entail polyethylene use,” said Clayton Yawn of Ferguson Industrial Plastics. He is the Southeastern HDPE Sales Manager. Smaller communities across the state are also using the pipe as a way to keep up with water demands and everyone involved has discovered the “green” advantages of the pipe.
Big regions of Florida are either rehabilitating their infrastructure, upsizing it, or expanding it to deal with the population growth. At the same time, water shortages are plaguing most of the state so an HDPE system that doesn’t waste any water through leaks makes perfect sense.
HDPE was first developed in the late 1960’s for the gas industry because of its leak proof qualities. Today 90% of all new underground gas lines installed nationwide are HDPE. Many Florida city municipalities and rural water companies have discovered that the same leak free aspects that made the pipe so successful in the gas industry are the same advantages needed for water infrastructure.
For far too long it has been commonly believed that a leak rate of 5 to 20% is a normal acceptable level. According to the Plastic Piping Institute, water utilities self reported leak rates that average 15%. One study by the International Water Supply Association states that 20% to 40% of water never reaches its intended destination. At 15%, a 1MGD line for a small town would lose 150,000GPD. Whichever number one believes, the effects of such high leakage are taking their toll and smart water managers are taking steps to eliminate the waste.
Times have changed since the first half of the twentieth century when populations were smaller, labor was cheap, and water was relatively plentiful. Water is becoming a major issue not only in Florida, but across the country. City managers are now directed more towards conservation, cost, and public safety. As such, governmental regulatory agencies, and conservationists are reviewing water distribution systems and focusing on leak management. What they’re finding is that water companies can’t afford the loss of water through leaking pipelines and the maintenance costs associated with these leaks are crippling their budgets. Leaks also play a human health role. If a water pipe or sewer pipe leaks, other chemicals can also infiltrate the system. Florida’s concern has led them to the conclusion that HDPE with its leak free qualities and zero maintenance reputation is a strong solution to these problems.
The high cost of premature replacement or repair of failed or leaking pipe systems has a big impact on the economics of distribution systems. More than 25% of the publicly owned systems serving up to 50,000 connections report economic losses.
Ferguson employs over twenty fusion technicians and stocks millions of dollars worth of HDPE pipe and McElroy fusion equipment to deal with Florida and the country’s growing demand for HDPE piping systems. “Water projects that are calling for polyethylene are increasing every quarter and the environmental concerns are perhaps the biggest catalyst for the State’s conversion to HDPE,” said Yawn.
Many water companies are also embracing trenchless applications of construction for speed of development and minimal disturbance to their communities. HDPE goes hand in hand with those construction methods. “In fact, the nickname for HDPE in Florida is ‘drill pipe,” said Yawn. “Trenchless applications are continuing to grow in acceptance by engineers and city planners because of its cost effectiveness and that they do not have to change an existing building landscape to achieve their purpose.” said Yawn.
Ferguson supplied the pipe and fusion equipment along with the fusion operators for a recent multifaceted project for the city and county of Fort Pierce. The project entails six miles each of 54-inch through 24-inch pipe for potable water, reuse or reclaimed water, and forced main sewer line.
“This job was spawned from a smaller pilot project performed earlier,” said Yawn. “Once city managers saw how easy HDPE was to work with, and knew that the pipe would require no maintenance and wouldn’t leak, they decided to use it on their larger project. It is the same way it has happened across the state.”
The city of St. Petersburg, is another city protecting the future of their water distribution system by replacing their lines with PE wherever it is economically possible.  HDPE has a reliable service life of more than 100 years but sometimes life cycle cost analysis are not considered for many projects put up for bid.
“To compare HDPE with other materials solely on price per linear foot is not a proper comparison,” said Joe Towry, St. Petersburg City Water Manager. “Other items should be taken into consideration like the long-term investment. Leaks are expensive, if I can spend an extra three dollars today and that will save the city $100 in the future; I have done my job well.”
“If you consider the installation cost savings compared to other pipe being used, a 50% installation saving is sometimes achieved.” said Yawn.
“HDPE has impressed water managers in the state of Florida,” said Yawn. "Cities like Fort Pierce and St. Pete are ahead of the curve when it comes to engineering water infrastructure. They are starting to understand that they should specify HDPE by working pressure and not over engineer the project using pressure class. They are looking into the future and designing systems that will withstand the test of time. They’re falling in love with the environmental advantages and material characteristics of the pipe. As its use takes over, the state of Florida will reap the benefits of having a leak-free, long lasting system.” |
