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2019-08

Application of stainless steel water pipes in the United States

The use of stainless steel pipes in the United States began in the 1960s and prevailed in the 1990s. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has strict regulations on the selection of water pipe materials, and the selection of pipes must meet the requirements of high water quality, low maintenance, and long life.

The use of stainless steel pipes in the United States began in the 1960s and prevailed in the 1990s. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has strict regulations on the selection of water pipe materials, and the selection of pipes must meet the requirements of high water quality, low maintenance, and long life. According to the national standard for water purification established by the United States government in 1996/the international standard of the National Health Fund, it is clearly stipulated that "only stainless steel and ductile iron pipes are allowed for metal pipes used for drinking water." For urban water supply networks, stainless steel pipes and ductile iron pipes are used for all main pipe modifications.

Stainless steel water pipes are preferred for water supply pipes entering tall buildings. The latest 2003 edition of the American International Standards Committee's Water Pipe and Residential Standards once again includes this content, indicating that the use of stainless steel water pipes has been officially approved by the United States. Other countries such as Health Canada, the Netherlands Health Accreditation Board, and the World Health Organization have also confirmed this standard. More and more countries require that the pipes and components of drinking water systems must comply with the above standards. As a healthy pipe and component, they must comply with the above standards as a basis for health assurance. The first batch of materials that meet the requirements of the standard are 304/304L and 316/316L stainless steel.

In the United States, stainless steel has been successfully used in transportation systems in more than 100 drinking water treatment plants. The water supply system in New York has been made of stainless steel since the 1960s. The original drinking water system in New York City cannot meet the requirements due to the aging of the system. Based on a 15-year evaluation of alternative materials, the authorities also adopted 304L stainless steel on a large scale on the large-diameter column pipes and other pipes of the urban water supply pipeline in 1993, with the goal of achieving a system life of up to 100 years. The renovation of water supply in the Washington area has also adopted stainless steel water pipes on a large scale.

The water supply system in the Ford Stadium, a $300 million new stadium in Detroit, USA, uses 304 stainless steel for its water supply pipes, including direct drinking water pipes at various outlets. In addition, stainless steel pipes have become the standard material for more than 1600 urban sewage treatment plants newly built in the past 30 years.

The reason why the United States chooses stainless steel is entirely based on economic and health considerations. Stainless steel materials comply with EPA guidelines and are often used in situations where water quality requirements are high, replacement is difficult, low maintenance is required, and long service life is required. Although the material cost for the first time is about 20% - 50% higher than that of zinc pipes, due to the excellent corrosion resistance of stainless steel, installation and processing costs have been greatly reduced, and the daily operation and maintenance costs of pipelines have also been significantly reduced. Moreover, the service life of the water system can be as long as 100 years, so the total cost over the entire life cycle is the lowest.

More than 30 drinking water treatment plants in the United States have replaced ductile iron pipes with stainless steel, mainly due to cost savings. The Massachusetts water plant uses stainless steel pipes, saving $50000 compared to using ductile iron, and the stainless steel pipes that have been in use for 30 years are still as bright as new.