Behavior of UHMWPE Material in Water Supply Systems Considering Water Quality

This study assesses the performance of an existing ductile iron (DI) pipe network and a pipe network of an alternative new material, ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). The study involved the modeling of water age and chlorine concentration. Leakage behavior, ingress of a nonconservative pollutant into the network, and fire flow analysis were also investigated. The simulations for both materials were conducted using hydraulic simulation software through extended-period simulations. The results indicated that the amount of chlorine required to maintain the minimum disinfectant concentration within the old DI system was about three times what was required within the new UHMWPE system. The chlorine decay pattern for the old DI pipes was irregular, while for the new UHMWPE it was fairly consistent. The performance of the two networks was similar with regard to leakage or contaminant intrusion. In addition, the new UHMWPE network performed better than the old DI network from the perspective of fire flow requirements. Based on the considered case study, the new UHMWPE material may be a better choice than deteriorated DI material, considering water quality aspects.