Honors Strength, Longevity, and Resilience of
Cast Iron Drinking Pipes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., July 9, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- The Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA)
welcomes the city of Elyria, OH,
to the Century Club, which honors the strength, longevity, and
resilience of cast iron pipes used in water infrastructure
projects.
"More than 100 years ago, professional engineers and municipal
leaders recognized the need to create systems to deliver clean,
safe drinking water," said DIPRA President David Cole. "Those first water utilities
understood how critical it was to select the best materials to
convey that water, and the choice then to utilize cast iron set a
professional standard for high-quality pipes that would withstand
the test of time – and the rigors of nature. We welcome
Elyria, OH, into the Century Club
for their smart decision-making 100 years ago, and we congratulate
today's leaders for their use of modern Ductile iron, which is the
descendant of cast iron."
The value of choosing long-lasting, resilient pipe materials
cannot be overstated: the pipes that run underneath cities are the
foundations on which safe societies are built. Cast iron pipes
established a high benchmark for excellence in providing clean,
safer drinking water. Today's Ductile iron continues that work, and
the manufacturers of modern Ductile iron pipe have accepted the
challenge to make iron pipe even better – the performance,
resilience, ease of installation, strength, and longevity of
Ductile iron pipe is second to none.
The city of Elyria first
installed cast iron in 1902, including the pipe that is being
celebrated for induction in the Century Club. That 20-inch pipe ran
nearly four miles from the city's water plant on Lake Erie to the city's limits.
"The best thing about cast iron is its ability to withstand the
many forces exerted on drinking water pipes," said Dave Rothgery, Elyria's water operations manager. "The
selection of water mains is sometimes easier than one would think.
For us, the switch from cast iron to Ductile iron was a natural
progression from one superior, long-lasting resilient pipe to
another. Ductile iron is hands-down the best drinking water pipe
available today."
Research has shown that utilities that upgrade from cast iron to
Ductile iron experience fewer repairs and lower pumping costs,
which saves money for residents and businesses. While other pipe
materials may cost less upfront, the maintenance and repair costs
associated with inferior pipes makes the long-term price of those
pipes exponentially more expensive over time.
Rothgery said the city's 20-inch cast iron main may be installed
in the water plant's museum to honor its longevity.
The Cast Iron Pipe Century Club was organized in 1947 to
publicly recognize water utilities with Cast Iron mains that have
provided service for 100 years or more. There are more than 550
water utilities in the United
States and 35 water utilities in Canada that are members of DIPRA's Century
Club. Many of these utilities are all still using at least some of
the cast iron pipes installed underground more than 100 years ago.
DIPRA also sponsors a Sesquicentennial Club, of which 27 utilities
in the U.S. and five in Canada are
known to have enjoyed cast iron pipelines in service for more than
150 years.
About DIPRA
Founded in 1915, the Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association
(DIPRA) has served as a resource and technical advisor to the water
industry. DIPRA also provides representation on standards-making
committees as well as technical research on a variety of
applications-based topics. While DIPRA member companies have
different names and locations, they share a common commitment to
produce and deliver the finest quality water and wastewater pipe
material in the world, Ductile Iron Pipe, and at the greatest
possible value to its purchasers.
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SOURCE Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA)