From Capitol Hill to Beneath Our Feet: Water Week Meets Earth Day

Next week is Water Week, a vitally important advocacy moment for our industry.

At DIPRA, we are proud to not only represent the manufacturers of Ductile iron pipe but also to contribute valuable research, technical documents, and other knowledge-based information to water professionals. Every day, we are reminded of the importance of clean, safe, healthy drinking water when we fill up our glasses and bottles at home and at work.

Water Week is a jam-packed week during which the major associations that represent the sector come to Washington, D.C., to talk with legislators about the important work we do. The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), The Water Research Foundation (WRF), Water Environment Federation (WEF), and WateReuse Association jointly host the National Water Policy Fly-In, which is the week’s cornerstone event.

In a recent column for The Washington Times, DIPRA President David Cole stressed the importance of robust and reliable funding for the State Revolving Fund programs, which are the main way that federal funds flow to water projects. You can read that column here.

The conversations happening on Capitol Hill during Water Week are ultimately about what lies beneath our streets and communities. As Water Week draws attention to the policy and funding decisions that shape our water systems, Earth Day, on April 22, reminds us why those systems matter so much and why the materials we choose to build them with carry real environmental consequences.

Beneath our streets, drinking water pipes endure shifting soils, heavy traffic loads, pressure fluctuations, and the demands of constant use, making material performance a critical factor in system reliability.

While these systems typically remain out of sight, they are anything but inactive. Drinking water pipes operate in a constant state of stress, responding to both natural and human-driven forces that can compromise their integrity over time. Understanding these challenges is key to building and maintaining systems that deliver safe, reliable water for generations.

These are some of the things we’ll be thinking about on April 22, Earth Day.

Ductile Iron Pipes: Best for the Earth

Clearly, we’re biased toward Ductile iron pipe, and we understand that some readers may be questioning why we’re connecting this blog post to Earth Day. But when you consider the superior benefits of Ductile iron compared to other pipe materials, it’s clear that our pipes are the most environmentally friendly and sustainable choice in the marketplace.

Modern Ductile iron pipe contains engineering innovations that reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and landfill waste while creating a durable, fully recyclable product, helping to minimize resource depletion. Ductile iron also does not leach hazardous chemicals into drinking water.  No hazardous chemicals are released in its manufacturing process, either.

What’s more, with a larger-than-nominal inside diameter and a smooth inside surface, cement-mortar-lined Ductile iron pipe presents energy savings to utilities, unequaled in the waterworks industry. Research shows that pumping water through Ductile iron pipe can result in energy savings of as much as 38%.

Ductile iron also

• Has at least 90% recycled content and is 100% recyclable;
• Provides lower costs from increased flow capacity which leads to significant energy savings during the pipe’s lifetime in service;
• Is strong enough to withstand the most severe conditions, from high-pressure applications, to heavy earth and traffic loads, to unstable soil conditions.

We also emphasize that choosing materials that perform reliably over extended periods supports both environmental and economic stewardship.

Read more about Ductile iron pipe’s environmental benefits here!

Ultimately, the performance of drinking water systems depends on what lies beneath the surface. Though buried, these pipes are on the front lines every day, adapting to changing conditions and carrying a resource essential to public health and quality of life. Recognizing the challenges they face and prioritizing materials and designs that can meet them is essential to ensuring that clean, safe water continues to flow.