Document ExVX10LVJnBdZ9d4pn0R7BZ9V

7^ P&O f UNI-BELL PVC PIPE ASSOCIATION 2655 Villa Creek Drive, Suite 155 Dallas, Texas 75234-7362 Phone (214) 243-3902 Fax (214) 243-3907 July 15, 1991 TO: FROM: Uni-Bell Board of Directors Uni-Bell Associate Members Uni-Bell International Affiliates Uni-Bell Technical Committee Uni-Bell Market Development Committee . Bob Walker SUBJECT: Report/Update Regarding AWWA Actions Affecting Your Industry AWWA C907 . PVC Fittings In conjunction with the American Water Works Association (AWWA) annual convention held in Philadelphia last month, the AWWA Board of Directors met and approved the proposed PVC Fittings Standard (C907). Pending the obligatory 30 day public comment period, which will begin with the publication of AWWA's July issue of Mainstream, you should have an important new standard. AWWA C150 and C151 - Ductile Iron Pipes AWWA's Board also has approved changes to their standards for the Thickness Design of DuctileIron Pipe (C150) and Ductile-Iron Pipe for Water or Other Liquids (051). The significant changes include: Providing pressure class designations instead of the traditional wall thickness class designations Allowing for wall thickness decreases ranging from 0 through 15 percent depending on pipe size These changes are intended to enhance ductile iron's marketability and will be subject to the same 30 day public comment period as C907. AWWA C9Q6 - PE Pines As of the AWWA convention, enough Standards Council affirmatives had been received to override the appeal filed by Mr. Crowson. Unless Crowson appeals this action, which is not anticipated, the new "Standard for Polyethylene (PE) Pressure Pipe and Fittings, 4 in. Through 63 in., for Water Distribution," will be published by AWWA. Our reaction to AWWA's approval of this standard will be a topic for your committees in September. TECHNOLOGY SERVING THE WATER AND SEWER INDUSTRIES CTL027126 July 15, 1991 Page 2 AWWA Additives Statement The tug of water continues regarding how AWWA standards will address direct and indirect additives, i.e., NSF Standards 60 and 61. On one side, you have NSF, most of the states' regulatory agencies and those industries and manufacturers already certified, all pushing for a standards statement that makes specific reference to NSF 60 or 61 certification. On the other side, you have those industries and manufacturers whose products have not been certified which oppose any reference to NSF 60 or 61 in AWWA standards. AWWA's Standards Council is the rope in this tug of war. They initially left specific reference to NSF 60 and 61 out of an almost meaningless standard statement. At their meeting last October, they were persuaded to specifically reference NSF standards. At their more recent April meeting, the AWWA Manufacturers Advisory Council (MAC) asked the Standards Council to reconsider that decision. Consequendy, Standards Council has asked AWWA staff to redraft a statement for consideration. In summary, the development of a direct/indirect additives certification statement is tied up in a prolonged see-saw debate. This situation benefits companies whose products are not certified. PVC Pipe Performance Research (RFP 708) We are continuing to closely monitor the AWWA Research Foundauon funded project that will evaluate PVC water pipe performance. As we reported previously, Dr. A1 Moser of Utah State University has been selected to conduct the evaluation which he proposes will take 22 months to complete. The AWWA Standards Council, at their April meeting, expressed concern that ASTM and AWWA PVC pipe products be differentiated, and that pipes greater than 10 years old be sampled. These comments, together with those of AWWARFs Project Advisory Committee (PAC) for this project, were recendy conveyed to Dr. Moser by letter. They are summarized as follows: Include and perhaps concentrate on 10 year old pipes, but not at the exclusion of newer pipes Consider effects of internal and external environments on PVC pipe Consider effects of "fillers" on pipe performance and aging Consider ultraviolet radiation effects on PVC aging Examine stress regression data for various PVC compounds Shorten the 22 month completion time We feel the Standards Council's obsessions with 10 year old pipe and the influence of time and aging on PVC pipe performance are misguided. To properly redirect their attentions, we will be working with Moser to draft some specific questions dealing with length of service and pipe aging for inclusion in the Phase I survey portion of the evaluation. RPW/vac cc: Roy Gottesman Arthur Kahn CTL027127