Based on the findings from our Plumbing Specification Guide, this AIA course explains how the characteristics of materials used for drinking water, wastewater, and fire-suppression systems impact the health, safety, and sustainability of buildings. eligible for HSW credit. … more
Recent contamination of water systems by jet fuel leaking from the Navy’s Red Hill fuel storage facility in Hawaii illustrates again the importance of safe drinking water and of the piping that delivers it.
Many questions remain about this incident, including one that has been largely ignored to date: How will the Navy and local officials repair or replace pipes impacted by chemicals released into the system… more
Fuel from the Red Hill Naval facility on Oahu, Hawaii, leaked into a water system servicing over 90,000 residents in November 2021. As the situation evolves, Safe Piping Matters is sharing developments along with recommendations based on research studies and lessons learned from previous contamination events… more
Essentials for Successful Lead Service Line Replacement Legacy lead service lines threaten the drinking water of millions, with crises in cities like Flint, Michigan and Newark, New Jersey, standing as examples of the challenges facing local and national leaders. As cities and states begin investing $15 billion earmarked in recent legislation to secure safer drinking … more
Using Proven Materials for Water Systems Part 1: Health & Toxicity Flint, Michigan may be the first city that comes to mind when you think of the crises that can occur in cities where lead service lines are still prevalent in their water systems. However, Flint is hardly alone in this category. Other cities, such … more
The model had shown promise in Flint before officials rebelled. Now Toledo is using it, while incorporating more public input. … more
Lead contamination has long been recognized as a health hazard, particularly for the young. But a new study asserts that the extent of the problem is far bigger than previously thought, with one in three children worldwide – about 800 million in all – threatened by unacceptably high lead levels in their body. … more
Andrew Whelton’s latest study confirms that plastic drinking water pipes release benzene and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the water supply when exposed to extreme heat. … more
Top Piping Safety Researcher Urges Awareness & Action on Post-Wildfire Water Contamination When wildfires rage through areas with plastic water infrastructure, populations lose access to clean drinking water due to toxic contaminants that leach from the melted pipes. In recent years, wildfires such as the Tubbs Fire (2017) in Santa Rosa and the Camp Fire … more
The lead and copper rule was implemented in 1991 in response to the nearly 10 million lead water lines that existed in the US. Today, an estimated 6.1 million lead lines are still in service and are in dire need of replacement; as their existence poses the potential for lead contaminated water crises to the likes of … more