The ductile iron pipe industry is fully committed to sustainability, and that commitment is evident at every step of the process. The manufacturers who comprise the Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA) view sustainability as a necessary concern, not just for our customers but also their employees, communities and the environment at large. Our goal is to ensure 100% compliance with all established environmental, health, and safety guidelines at all times and to work consistently to improve our environmental, health, and safety performance.
Sustainability isn’t simply a buzzword. For the ductile iron pipe manufacturers of DIPRA, sustainability is a constant and ongoing commitment to fully understand the impact its manufacture has on the environment and to identify ways to improve. Our industry’s commitment often includes setting standards that are greater than those set by regulatory agencies in order to ensure, going forward, that the manufacture of ductile iron pipe continues to be a healthy, safe process.
Made from 95 percent recycled steel and iron, its manufacture turns products that have served their useful lives into new ductile iron pipe. From the time the scrap metal becomes a molten mix to the moment the pipe is shipped, quality control of the metal and the process is tightly managed. Samples of every batch of pipe are tested for strength and dimensional compliance with ASTM and AWWA standards. And the waste products are measured and controlled to ensure regulatory compliance. As a result, ductile iron pipe is the most trusted and reliable material available today.
Pipe corrosion is also a concern when considering the long-term viability of pipe materials. Controlling corrosion has been a topic of research by the ductile iron pipe industry for nearly 90 years. As a result, we know that corrosion is easily and economically controlled using proven technologies. For more than 55 years, polyethylene encasement has provided a successful solution against pipe corrosion. Today, DIPRA recommends the use of V-Bio® enhanced polyethylene encasement, which builds on the success of traditional polyethylene encasement by adding a corrosion inhibitor and an antimicrobial component to actively control corrosion in the most aggressive soil environments. Polyethylene encasement has been proven to be just as effective and more economical than the other methods of corrosion control for iron pipe, and the installation of polyethylene encasement is simple and easy.