With an increase in the development of brownfield sites to combat the housing shortage, the demand for water supply pipe has also risen, but we are warning that it is crucial to check products have the relevant industry approvals and are safe for use in brownfield sites.
New housing developments require reliable pipelines to transport large volumes of drinking water for new homes, however with contaminants often present in the ground, careful consideration needs to be given to the material selection. Unfortunately, the increased demand has led to many products being positioned as "pipe for contaminated land" that may not always have the required industry approvals.
When it comes to Polyethylene (PE) pipes, the relevant British Standard is BS 8588: 2017 ‘Polyethylene pressure pipes with an aluminium barrier layer and associated fittings for potable water supply in contaminated ground’. Only by specifying pipe and fittings that meet this standard can contractors, developers and utilities be confident they are specifying a reliable and safe barrier pipe solution.
It is important to look at the fittings, in addition to the pipe, as some pipe materials may be approved to BS 8588, but the fittings are not covered under the approval.
Commenting on this issue, our segment manager, James Roper, said: “We are seeing an increasing number of products emerge that are labelled as ‘pipe for contaminated land’ but they don’t have BS 8588 approval for the fittings as well. This is worrying as fittings that have not been approved to transfer drinking water in contaminated land are at risk of potentially contaminating water supplies. This would not only be dangerous for consumers, but would cause a major costly repair and replacement project for contractors and utilities, with fines also possible.
“We cannot stress enough the importance of contractors, developers and utilities confirming that both the pipe and fittings to be used in contaminated land have the necessary approvals in place before making selection choices.”
Protecta-Line is the original barrier pipe system, which has been trusted by water authorities, contractors and developers to safely transport drinking water through contaminated land for more than 20 years.
Available in sizes up to 630mm, Protecta-Line pipe and fittings are fully approved to BS 8588. An integrated system, Protecta-Line offers a wide range of specially-designed fittings including electrofusion fittings, mechanical fittings, mechanical compression fittings, pupped fittings and ferrule off-takes. Its tough multi-layer construction incorporates an impermeable aluminum barrier layer wrapped onto a central core of PE80 or Excel (PE100) pipe. Its innovative design ensures that any contaminants remaining in brownfield sites and former industrial land cannot permeate into the water supply.