Unleashing Innovation to Address Aging Water Infrastructure
Every four years the American Society of Civil Engineers
(ASCE) issues grades fifteen infrastructure categories. On the 2017
Infrastructure Report Card, ASCE gave the nation’s drinking water infrastructure
a “D”, with over 6 billion gallons of treated water being lost every day. With
an estimated $1 trillion needed to address this growing problem, it is crucial
that a variety of innovative materials are allowed to be considered during the
procurement process in order to make the most of the dollars spent on water and
sewer infrastructure.
There are many cities, counties, and municipalities which
have restrictive, closed bidding processes which only allow for specific types
of materials, hampering competition and resulting in missed cost savings to
taxpayers. Open competition allows for engineers to have all available
materials that meet performance specifications when selecting materials for
water infrastructure projects. This open competition process does not mandate
the use of any one material, and leaves the final material selection in the
hands of the engineer, even when it may not be the least expensive option.
In the past there have been only a limited number of materials that have been considered through the bidding process. Modern infrastructure challenges may can be best met with modern technology. Chemistry is a proven material which can ensure that governments provide high performing materials at an affordable cost per mile in comparison to other commonly used materials. Plastic pipes such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are highly resistant to corrosion leading to a lifespan of more than 100 years, while meeting several organizational standards for durability such as ASTM, AWWA, and NSF.
Open competition can help governments meet the extreme need for updating water and sewer infrastructure. There is an estimated 26% savings when open competition procurement policies, and additional competition drives costs down even when alternative materials are not selected for a project. Click here to learn more about open competition and the savings that chemistry can provide!
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