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| July Issue Post Date 7/25/05 | www.mcelroy.com | |
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Note From The Editor The entire state of New Mexico has water troubles. In a normal year, the amount of water used for irrigating crops is measured in feet. This year’s allotment will be measured in inches. New Mexico is in litigation with Texas over the water rights of two rivers. Additionally the water in the state is over-appropriated. There is less water available than there are legal claims to it, and the ongoing drought is only making things worse. If the drought continues, legal, economic and political water problems will continue to rise. New Mexico is not alone but may become the poster child for a proposed national clean water trust fund much like the ones set up for highways and aviation. To gauge the public’s support for a national clean water trust fund, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) commissioned the services of the Luntz Research Companies to conduct public opinion surveys. The results of the survey were published in March 2005 Read survey . The survey found that most Americans believe clean and safe water is a national priority, and federal investment to guarantee clean and safe water is a critical component of our nation’s environmental well-being. According to the poll, most Americans want a dedicated source of funding for water infrastructure projects, and would support the enactment of legislation to create a long-term, sustainable trust fund for water infrastructure. New Mexico ’s inability to provide water to everyone who has a claim is a recipe for water war. The lawsuits will waste millions of dollars in litigation fees while providing no relief for the actual problem. The state engineer and the New Mexico Finance Authority have estimated that total costs of all the water supply projects identified as critical in the next 10 to 20 years approach $200 billion. One of the major pieces of the pie is the need to modernize domestic water systems throughout the state to prevent water loss. This is where polyethylene pipe can make a sustainable impact. Its leak free quality will save the estimated 20% to 25% of the water lost every day through water delivery systems. A national trust fund will help the State of New Mexico achieve their critical water supply projects and implement a long-term solution. One of the most complex aspects of moving from the trust fund concept to reality, however, is determining the funding sources for such a trust fund. This is where the water gets murky. Trust fund advocates have looked at several potential revenue sources, including a fee on water-based recreational products and services, which is a $50 billion industry, industrial discharges, flushable products, or beverages, as well as a combination of some or all of the above. Apparently, all options put forth by trust fund advocates are based on the assumption that the beneficiaries of clean water have the primary responsibility for guaranteeing clean water. However, none of the sectors identified by trust fund advocates as potential funding sources are jumping up and down to support a fee or tax on their activities. And so far, the committee has failed to exorcise the one innate talent that all committee’s have – the ability to assign blame for the current shape of the neglected infrastructure.  In conclusion, I’m sure the trout in the streams would benefit from having clean abundant water but they don’t have any money and can’t rightfully be blamed. I guess that leaves the populace as the primary beneficiary of clean water so if we are to have it, we’ll have to pay. I just want my dollars to go to the best and longest lasting pipe the industry has to offer, HDPE.Drew L. Wilson; Editor (918) 831-9286 Magazine Highlight  Prime advertising opportunity:In the past 50 years, the people who work for the magazine Underground Construction have traveled to jobsites around the world to report on and provide comprehensive coverage of the pipeline construction industry. Construction and rehabilitation activities for sewer/water pipelines, gas, oil and product transmission pipelines, gas distribution pipelines and cable systems are just a few of the ever changing industries the magazine has chronicled in hopes of giving its readers information on new technologies and advancements made throughout the world of underground construction. Underground Construction will be dedicating its September and October issues this year to the plastic pipe industry. These issues will cover everything from the history and development of plastic pipe to improvements in resins, fittings, and its role in modern trenchless applications as well as the HDPE movement that is taking place in the water industry. We at McElroy hope the readers of McElroy Connections along with our distributors will support the magazine by taking advantage of the great opportunity to advertise in these two upcoming issues. To contact Underground Construction go to: http://www.undergroundinfo.com/UC/Uchome.html
McElroy In The News Case Studies 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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The benefits of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe for municipal water and wastewater rehabilitation projects are becoming even more compelling as the scale and costs of our leaking infrastructure become more apparent. A staggering 2.45 billion gallons of treated water are lost every day from corroded or damaged pipes made of traditional materials like cast and ductile iron, steel and concrete. That is equivalent to 48 million gallons lost or unbilled per day for every state in the union. Beyond the lost revenue for municipalities, consumers are facing unnecessary water shortages and increased healthcare risks: some reports indicate that up to 3.6 million annual illnesses in the U.S. are caused by the accidental release of untreated sewage due to failed pipe systems. 
