Cave City, Ky., Uses PE 4710 to Upgrade Water System
By Steve Cooper
The Caveland Environmental Authority (CEA) in Cave City, Ky., has found the solution to reduce its 40 percent unaccounted water loss and protect the area’s sensitive subterranean ecology by replacing aging and leaking water lines with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe. Completed in May 2016, the project used more than 3.5 miles of PE 4710 pipe.
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As a manufacturer of many different types of pipe (including HDPE and PVC) I would say that while HDPE seems like a good choice for this project, I would caution that relying on a computer program from a trade association for design may not always be in the best interests of the design engineer or their client (the Plastic Pipe Institute is the trade association for PE pipe manufacturers). It is not a surprise that the PPI’s program found that HDPE was the only suitable alternative, as PPI PACE is more of a marketing tool than a design program. Trade associations are very well qualified to give guidance on the pipe materials they represent, but can be biased and unreliable when attempting to give guidance on alternative materials.
For example, the PACE program typically recommends that the designer use unrealistic parameters when calculating surges and cyclic load, which has the effect of eliminating other pipe materials from consideration, or artificially inflating their requirements so that HDPE may appear to be the most competitive option.
Strangely enough, the PACE program does not make any allowance for the temperature and chlorine level of the water in question, and given that some disinfectants have the ability to seriously damage or destroy PE piping you would think that the PPI would be interested in giving designers some guidance in this regard. This alone should make designers reconsider using this flawed program as a design tool.
I would recommend that designers contact the Plastic Pipe and Fittings Association (www.ppfahome.org) for guidance on designing all types of plastic pipe