DIPRA Welcomes Village of Saguenay, Quebec, to Century Club

BIRMINGHAM, AL – The Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA) welcomes the Village of Saguenay, Quebec, Canada, to the Century Club, which honors the strength, longevity, and resilience of cast iron pipes in drinking water systems.

“The foresight shown by the Village of Saguenay in using cast iron pipes to build out its drinking water system more than 100 years ago demonstrates a clear understanding of the importance of durable infrastructure,” said DIPRA President David Cole. “There are many municipalities across Canada and the United States that continue to rely on cast iron pipes to deliver clean, safe drinking water. And many of them choose Ductile iron – the modern successor of cast iron – when it comes time to replace aging pipes. Ductile iron is second-to-none for strength, resilience, and longevity, making it the pipe of choice for engineers and water professionals planning for the next 100 years.”

The Village originally installed the 6-inch cast iron pipe in its downtown area in 1907. The pipe remains safely in service today.

“We rarely need to make repairs on the line,” said Gabriel Grenon, Chief of the Division of Environmental, Health, and Parks. “Cast iron pipe is very strong and durable.”

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 more than 35 water utilities in Canada that are members of DIPRA's Century Club. 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.

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 application-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.