Views From The Top: Energy Considerations When Selecting Pipe And Valve Products

By Kevin Westerling,
@KevinOnWater

A Q&A with Maury Gaston and Derek Scott, AMERICAN

As utilities grapple with tightening budgets and stretched resources, treatment solutions that purport greater energy efficiency and sustainability have become all the rage in the water industry. But have you considered energy consumption when replacing or installing pipe and valve products? With energy being the second-highest operational cost (behind only labor for a utility), reducing the energy consumption of your water distribution system is a logical consideration.

I recently had the chance to discuss this topic with Maury Gaston and Derek Scott of AMERICAN (American Cast Iron Pipe Company). I was aware of the need for sustainable distribution systems — no utility manager wants to install and then have to replace the same length of pipe during their tenure in office (and as we know, tenure in our industry is often decades at the helm). However, I was surprised to learn about the implications that basic material selection can have on a utility’s overall energy consumption.