The City of Virginia Beach, VA, Joins DIPRA’s Century Club - Honoring the Strength and Resiliency of Cast Iron Water Mains

BIRMINGHAM, AL – The Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA) welcomes the City of Virginia Beach, VA, to its Century Club, which celebrates the strength and resilience of cast iron mains in drinking water systems.

In 1963, Virginia Beach and Princess Anne County merged to form the present-day City of Virginia Beach. Through the merger, the city inherited a drinking water system strengthened with cast iron water mains that have stood the test of time. An approximately 16-mile length of cast iron water main running from the Norfolk City line to the former 17th Street Water Pump Station site, generally following Virginia Beach Boulevard, was installed in 1924 and remains safely in service today – a testament to the trust that water professionals can have in cast iron pipes to deliver safe, healthy drinking water.

“Professional engineers know how important it is to make the right selection when choosing pipes for drinking water systems,” said DIPRA President David Cole. “The City of Virginia Beach inherited drinking water pipes that were the gold standard for strength, resilience, and longevity for growing municipalities. Today, that mantle has been passed onto cast iron’s modern descendant, Ductile iron. We are proud to welcome the City of Virginia Beach to the Century Club, recognizing the durability of iron pipes that remain viable and strong 100 years later.”

Before the existence of water treatment plants, the development of chemicals and processes to remove contaminants from water, and before an industry devoted to this important work developed, engineers in the late 1800s and early 1900s needed pipes that would deliver clean drinking water for generations. Cast iron mains routinely last more than 100 years. The legacy is continued today by Ductile iron pipe, which is stronger and more resilient than cast iron pipes like this one in Virginia Beach that have served for a century or more.

The smart decisions that professionals made 100 years ago are the same decisions facing water professionals today. The City of Virginia Beach maintains more than 1,600 miles of water pipes, most of which are either cast iron or Ductile iron. City Department of Public Works Director Robert Montague said they do not allow plastic PVC water mains to be installed.

"It is an honor to be recognized by the Century Club," said Director of Virginia Beach Public Utilities Bob Montague. “We are proud of the work our employees put in each day to ensure safe and reliable water service is provided to our customers 24/7.”

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. DIPRA also sponsors a Sesquicentennial Club, of which 27 utilities in the U.S. and five (5) in Canada, are known to have enjoyed cast iron pipelines in service for more than 150 years.

Pictured: Janine Alexander, PE, DIPRA Regional Engineer, Southeast (left) presents Virginia Beach Public Utilities Director Bob Montague, with a certificate inducting the utility into DIPRA’s Cast Iron Pipe Century Club. (Photo credit: Erica Roberts)

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.