Winning Pipe Projects Announced

Record Number of Plastics Pipe Institute Awards As Program Expands

The Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI) announced its annual industry award winners, noting that there were a record number of projects submitted and winners which required the addition of four categories along with creating a new award for innovation. The awards will be presented at the association’s annual meeting being held May 18 – May 21 in Florida

“This is the first time in the more than 10 years of the program that we’ve had multiple winners in several divisions, added new award-winning categories in one division plus an entirely new award,” stated David M. Fink, PPI president.

The PPI Building & Construction and Municipal & Industrial Divisions each had a tie between member projects. Additionally, the Municipal & Industrial Division added specific categories, and the Innovation Project of the Year category was created.

PPI is the major North American trade association representing the plastic pipe industry. Each year the PPI membership reviews and votes on Project of the Year and a Member of the Year for each of the five PPI divisions - Building & Construction, Drainage, Energy Piping Systems, Municipal & Industrial, and Power & Communications, and also for the Innovation Project of the Year. The PPI Member of the Year Award is for an individual’s outstanding support and contributions to the association and the industry. The awards were presented at the group’s annual membership meeting held in May 2025 in Florida.

“Each project shows that plastic pipe is safe, smart to use, resilient and sustainable,” stated Fink, “and helping to create a confident, long-life infrastructure, which has been proven during the past 75 years.”

PPI Winning Projects and Members are:
PPI Building & Construction Division Projects of the Year

• The Gaylord Resort and Convention Center, San Diego, CA
• PPI Member Company: GF Building Flow Solutions (formerly Uponor, Inc. in Apple Valley, MN, and Uponor Ltd. in Canada

Officially opened in May 2025, the $1.3B Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center in Chula Vista is the largest hospitality property in California. It needed a piping solution for the chilled water and heating hot water risers that was durable, reliable, easy to install, and promoted jobsite safety along with labor savings while having a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional materials such as copper and steel. This was provided by prefabricated PEX risers for connections to fan coils for the 1,600 guest rooms. The 45,000 feet of Wirsbo hePEX pipe along with other components for the system were provided by PPI Project of the Year winner GF Building Flow Solutions/Uponor

• The Fitzgerald Residence, Indianapolis, IN
• PPI Member Company: REHAU Water Technologies

The Fitzgerald Residence is a large single-family home with an advanced mechanical system engineered around a centralized hydronic plant. An example of utilizing plastic pipe for efficient hydronic heating/cooling and radiant heating systems, it consists of 40 tons (480,000 Btuh) of ground-source heat pumps (GSHP) integrated with full boiler backup and a four-pipe hot water and chilled water distribution. This configuration enables simultaneous heating and cooling for multiple end uses, including space conditioning, radiant floor heating, snow and ice melting, domestic hot water, hydronic towel warmers, humidification, river conditioning, and air handling unit (AHU) coils. For the indoor radiant heating, PPI Project of the Year winner, REHAU, provided its RAUBOARDTM radiant heating panel system with 19,200 feet of RAUPEX pipe, while snow melting in the driveway and entries used 24,500 feet of ¾ inch PEX. The innovative river conditioning system used another 5,000 feet of ¾ in. RAUPEX pipe and 2-inch diameter pipe was used for supply and return piping.

PPI Drainage Division Project of the Year

• Deep Gulch Culvert Rehabilitation, Newfoundland
• PPI Member Company: Soleno, Inc. Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Quebec

The Deep Gulch project in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, required the urgent rehabilitation of an aging stormwater system located beneath a major roadway. It also required a resilient and smart solution. The site posed significant engineering challenges, including a steep slope, high-velocity stormwater flow, and trench depths up to 32 feet. These extreme conditions made traditional materials, such as concrete, unsuitable for the project. Engineers selected Soleno’s KUSTOMFLO high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe solution, which offered superior abrasion resistance, lightweight handling, and a fully watertight system. Some 700 feet of 60-inch diameter and 145 feet of 87-inch corrugated HDPE pipe were used along with four HDPE manholes from winning PPI member company Soleno.

PPI Energy Piping Systems Division Project of the Year

• Lubicon Lake Band Gasification
• PPI Member Companies:
  Dow Chemical, Midland, MI
  Polytubes, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  ATCO Natural Gas Distribution, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

The Lubicon Lake Band Gasification Project was designed to bring safe, reliable, and affordable natural gas service to a remote Indigenous community in northern Alberta. For generations, residents relied on propane and wood burning heat, which were both costly and difficult to deliver, and associated with inconsistent supply and increased wildfire and safety risks. ATCO procured more than 28 miles (45 kilometers) of Polytubes PE pipe manufactured with Dow’s high performance bimodal PE2708 resin. This material was selected for its durability, corrosion resistance, and exceptional cold weather performance—critical attributes in northern terrain with short building seasons and fluctuating ground conditions. This project is providing far reaching benefits: lower household heating costs, reduced reliance on costly delivered fuels, improved indoor air quality, and enhanced community safety.

PPI Municipal & Industrial Division - MID
The high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe focused division now has six Project of the Year Award categories – Industrial Water, Potable Water with subcategories Distribution, Transmission, Rehabilitation, and Wastewater.

“We had so many entries and exciting projects,” stated Camille George Rubeiz, P.E., F. ASCE, co-chair, HDPE Municipal Advisory Board, and vice president of the division, ”that our management committee decided to create these specific classifications. Plus, we had a tie for the winners in the Potable Water category. This, we feel, is due to the growing popularity of HDPE pipe which is durable, very resilient and safe.”

MID HDPE Industrial Water Project of the Year

• Hyperscale Data Center, Southwest United States
• PPI Member Companies:
  Pipeline Plastics, LLC, Westlake, TX
  Milford, a Winsupply Company, Justin, TX
  McElroy Manufacturing, Inc. Tulsa, OK

To bring water to this confidential 1,000-acre data center site nearly 72,000 feet of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe in diameters ranging from 8 to 42 inches was used. The pipeline supplies the utility’s infrastructure and also the water-based heat transfer fluid for liquid cooling computing systems. Reliability, leak prevention, and long service life were critical operational considerations. HDPE PE4710 pipe was selected for its corrosion resistance, flexibility under thermal and soil movement, and ability to create fully restrained, leak-free systems through heat fusion. These characteristics were particularly valuable given regional soil variability, temperature swings, and the owner’s requirement for long-term infrastructure reliability with minimal interruption for maintenance. Pipe manufacturer Pipeline Plastics, supplier Milford and fusion equipment manufacturer McElroy received the PPI Project of the Year award in Municipal & Industrial Division’s Industrial Water category.

MID HDPE Potable Water Transmission Projects of the Year

• Randall Water, South Dakota
• Short Elliot Hendrickson, St. Paul, MN
• Hausmann Construction, Inc. Lincoln, NE
• PPI Member Companies:
  Pipeline Plastics, LLC, Westlake, TX
  ISCO Industries, Louisville, KY

The Randall Regional Waterline Project will provide a high-capacity water transmission line that stretches 72 miles across the prairie in the southeast corner of South Dakota. The 30-inch DR 13.5 high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe is being used in what is being tagged as the largest single-phase HDPE water project in the history of North America. The new pipeline will help to solve the severe need for water in this southeast corner of South Dakota. This new pipeline will enable farmers and ranchers to connect to a reliable system. Pipe manufacturer Pipeline Plastics and supplier ISCO shared the Project of the Year honors along with the owner and contractors.

• Waterbury, Connecticut Third Water Supply Transmission Main
• Tighe & Bond, Middletown, CT
• PPI Member Companies:
  Murphy Pipeline Contractors, Jacksonville, FL
  JM Eagle, Los Angeles, CA

The Waterbury Water Department supplies an average of 14 million gallons of drinking water a day to residents and businesses in Waterbury, Watertown, Prospect and Wolcott. There are nearly 400 miles of water main and more than 26,000 water service connections. The rehabilitation project, called the Third Water Supply Transmission Main, is being done in phases. The first and second phases saw 1.5 miles of pipeline fitted with new high-density polyethylene (HDPE) PE4710 pipe from JM Eagle. The sliplining installation used CompressionFIT technology to reduce the outer diameter of the 42” DR11 HDPE pipe by forcing it though the reduction die and into the failing Prestressed Concrete Cylinder Pipe (PCCP). The nearly four-inch-thick-walled pipe maintained the required flow rate by maximizing the internal diameter of the host pipe and increasing the C-factor of the pipeline to HDPE’s 150, all while fulfilling the pressure specification of 200 psi.

MID HDPE Wastewater Project of the Year

• Muskegon City, Michigan
• Kaminga & Roodvoets, Inc., Grand Rapids, MI
• Prein&Newhof, Grand Rapids, MI
• Michigan Pipe and Valve, Grand Rapids, MI
• PPI Member Company: Pipeline Plastics, Westlake, TX

Lack of available wastewater treatment capacity has been a barrier for economic development in Muskegon County, northwest of Grand Rapids near Lake Michigan. While the Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center does have available wastewater treatment capacity that can support growth in the region, it is located 17 miles north and west of the demand epicenter. The new 93,368-foot-long pipeline was constructed using PE4710 high-density polyethylene pipe in diameters ranging from 24 to 36 inches in diameter.

The Southeast Regional Force Main was designed as a long-distance, large-diameter wastewater transmission system with emphasis on hydraulic efficiency, corrosion resistance, constructability, and long-term operational reliability. HDPE pipe was selected as the primary force main material after evaluation of ductile iron and PVC alternatives.

MID HDPE Potable Water Distribution Project of the Year

• Wilbarger County Rural Water
• Red River Authority of Texas, Wichita Falls, TX
• PPI Member Companies:
  Performance Pipe, Plano, TX
  Dow Chemical, Midland, MI
  Modern Dispersions, Inc., Leominster, MA

The Wilbarger County Water Pipeline Replacement Project addresses a critical water supply challenge affecting remote rural communities in North Texas. The region’s aging six-inch PVC transmission line, which was stressed by high seismic activity, shifting soils, and decades of service, was losing more than 60 percent of its daily water volume before ever reaching customers. To solve this problem, the Red River Authority of Texas partnered with PPI member companies Performance Pipe, Dow, and Modern Dispersions to construct 20 miles of new HDPE pipeline using Performance Pipe’s DriscoPlex 4100 Series HDPE Piping manufactured with Dow’s CONTINUUM™ DGDC-2502 Bimodal resin. The new system now supplies reliable drinking water to 315 service connections (approximately 1,000 residents), dramatically improving water security in one of the state’s most water stressed regions.

PPI Power & Communications Division Project of the Year

• Arizona Statewide Middle-Mile Project
• PPI Member Company: Dura-Line, Knoxville, TN

Arizona's Department of Transportation (ADOT) and others in the state government understood that critical infrastructure was needed to bring reliable modern connectivity to all Arizonans. They also understood that public investment in middle-mile infrastructure removes a key barrier to entry for private investment in local fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks, particularly in areas that would otherwise remain underserved. Arizona's rural communities lack widespread access to broadband internet, which limits their opportunities for jobs, education, and expanded health care. Dura-Line received the Project of the Year for the Power & Communications Division of PPI for delivering more than 400 miles of its FuturePath Armored 7-way 18/14 mm conduit which was essential to the design and MicroTrench installation. This enabled not only ADOT's ITS and leasing goals, but also delivered several significant advantages for the customer, compared to its previous product choice of three, three-inch standard conduits.

PPI Innovation Award

• Transcanyon Water Line (TCWL), Grand Canyon
• PPI Member Companies:
  FlexSteel USA, LLC, Houston, TX
  Dow Chemical, Midland, MI

The National Parks Service was able to revitalize the main potable water supply line at Bright Angel Creek by sliplining the deteriorating six-inch line with more than a mile of three-inch diameter composite pipe. For the Tanscanyon Water Line project, NPS selected the FlexSteel reinforced pipe rated at 1500 psi because it would provide the toughness, pressure integrity and long-term durability essential for the steep canyon elevations and be able to handle the substantial hydrostatic pressure variations. The pipe contains a corrosion resistant inner liner and outer layer made from an advanced grade of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) from Dow with a helically wrapped steel reinforcement in the middle.

PPI Members of the Year

PPI Building & Construction Division Member of the Year

• Rick Stock
  GF Uponor, Apple Valley, MN

In addition to Stock’s voluntary service on six of the division’s committees, including the BCD Management Committee, he was also directly involved with eight BCD R&D projects that were completed within 2025 and chaired four of these successful projects himself, resulting in new or revised PPI publications that support the PEX industry. His professionalism and guidance help to direct project teams to focus on the most

important aspects of the work without getting sidetracked, allowing projects to reach timely completion.

PPI Drainage Division Member of the Year

• Craig Douglass
  Fratco, Monticello, IN

Douglass provided steady, effective leadership that strengthened the Division and advanced key initiatives. He successfully oversaw membership growth, fostering greater engagement and collaboration across the industry. Douglass also played a pivotal role in championing the adoption of ASTM F894 pipe.

PPI Energy Piping Systems Division Member of the Year

• Dell Doyle
  Dow Chemical, Midland, MI

The submission for Doyle’s nomination for the award stated “…most passionate and involved member always searching for ways to further HDPE pipelines whether its membership increase, end use market connections and exploration of opportunities for product options. Doyle challenges the industry to do more and never shies away for his part and often filling in for others, and navigates all the politics and gets things done. He brings so many together and his knowledge and experience and his encouragement to so many is unwavering.”

PPI Municipal & Industrial Division Members of the Year

• Gerry Groen, P. Eng.
  Infra Pipe Solutions, Ltd., Ontario, Canada

• Matt Haun
  Performance Pipe, Plano, TX

• Heath Casteel
  Performance Pipe, Plano, TX

Casteel is the current Chair of MID and represents the Division on the PPI Board of Directors. Groen and Haun served on multiple MID and MAB TGs, with Groen serving on multiple MID MCs. They led the efforts to revise, present, and re-ballot the PPI PE Handbook, Chapter 7. This chapter is focused on open cut construction, which represents about two-thirds of the water market and is essential to support the continued growth of the HDPE water market in non-trenchless applications. In addition, the new document is now consistent with the AWWA M55 Manual - PE Pipe Design and Installation.

PPI Power & Communications Division Member of the Year

• Dallas Geddes
  Dura-Line LLC, Knoxville, TN

Geddes received the award due to his extensive technical contributions and sustained leadership within the division. His involvement includes service on the PCD Codes & Standards Committee, PCD Education Committee, and the Emerging Professionals Group Steering Committee. Additionally, Geddes has played key roles in numerous PPI technical projects addressing critical issues for the power and communications sector, including recycling in conduit systems, HDPE conduit for power applications, thermal properties of HDPE conduit, lubricated conduit fusion, and concrete encasement of plastic pipe. Geddes also served as Chair of the project leading to extensive revisions of CSA C22.2 No. 327, and contributed to projects involving UL, NEMA, and ASTM standards.

Since the mid-1970s, White has been making an impact in the plastic pipe industry. He has been instrumental in contributing to numerous PPI committees, regularly collaborating with regulatory agencies like NSF International and taking on leadership roles at ASTM International, and especially providing technical expertise and knowledge to the establishment of the PE4710 high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe designation.

PPI President, David M. Fink said, “This award recognizes outstanding leadership, technical expertise, and unwavering commitment to advancing the plastic piping industry. White exemplifies those traits and has also been a driving force in encouraging industry growth by highlighting the importance of attracting and mentoring young professionals. He is a true advocate for the plastic pipe industry and serves as an inspiring role model for new entrants and all PPI members.”

About PPI:
The Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI) is the major North American trade association representing the plastic pipe industry and is dedicated to promoting plastic as the materials of choice for pipe and conduit applications. PPI is the premier technical, engineering and industry knowledge resource publishing data for use in the development and design of plastic pipe and conduit systems. Additionally, PPI collaborates with industry organizations that set standards for manufacturing practices and installation methods.

For more information, visit www.plasticpipe.org