The biggest “Nothing Burger” of today is the myth that somehow plastic leaching from a water bottle into the water is something we have just learned. The argument was first made when bottled water first became popular.
Is it true? Yes of course. However, to be of consequence, the parts per million would need to be extraordinarily high. They are not. So, no harm, no foul. The interesting thing to me is that the brilliant people that do these studies have their minds already made up from the beginning. They never stop to realize that the majority of municipal pipelines around the world are made of plastic pipe. Pipe which, for the most part and especially here in the States, has already gone through rigorous testing for public safety use. I have sold literally millions of linear feet of it throughout my career. Totaling multiple millions of dollars. Plastic pipe is safe. A viable and very safe conduit to carry water from point A to pint B. Isn’t that the purpose of bottled water too?
The real question is whether or not all types of pipe are equal. Water mains leak. There is no doubt about it. I spent many nights, holidays and weekends on call at Macon Water Authority working with the leak repair crew year after year. MWA is an underground system of cement lined Ductile Iron Pipe (DIP). In my opinion the optimal pipe for creating a system having an extended life cycle when properly maintained. I know my PVC pipe friends will disagree with me. That is okay. But here is my hands on experience in the field. MWA has been an Iron Pipe system since changing from wooden water mains to cement mains, then to asbestos-cement pipe. The latter leachate will literally kill you. It was 99% fully integrated to Iron Pipe when I joined the MWA Team in 1983. In the early 90’s we took over a failing private system out in the County (Bibb County, GA) on Lake Tobesofkee. It was a 100% PVC Pipe System. From the very first week we quickly learned why they were financially distraught. Our repair crew was spending all day, every day moving from leak to leak. All too often they would get back in town, just to turn around and go back out there. Needless to say, tempers were flaring about as fast as the leaks were appearing. By now you’ve probably guessed it. We changed out every linear foot to Ductile Iron Pipe. Problem solved. From that day to the day I left we never made another repair out there.
After forty years working in one industry, I am more than thoroughly convinced. If a municipality can afford the cost of an all Ductile Iron System, that is the way to go. If not, PVC is a very viable and safe option. It’s not a Lincoln; but it just might be a Cadillac. Depending on your point of view.
Water is Life! Drink lots of it. Live long and prosper.
Wayne Atkinson, Inc. 