Now let&#;s look at an example wherein a utility will install a mile of 8-inch pipeline in a subdivision, a constant pump rate is required due to an adjacent industrial park, and the materials being considered are Ductile iron pipe and PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride). In determining the energy costs to the utility of each respective material, the project model, as noted in the information below, has been established: Please note that the price per kWh will vary per region of the country. Areas with a higher $/kWh will experience higher overall energy savings.
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By going through the steps of first determining the respective head loss that must be overcome in each pipeline, then converting that into pumping costs the utility will incur based on the assumptions listed, one finds that using Ductile iron pipe will result in present worth cost savings to the utility of over $80,000 per mile during the 100-year estimated service life of the DI pipe.
Remember, these calculations are just for one mile of pipe. If a utility has two hundred miles of 8-inch pipe within its system, the savings over a 100-year service life jumps to approximately $16,000,000 over the same 100-year service life and assumptions listed above. The reason for this cost savings to the utility is that the 8-inch Ductile iron pipe (Class 350) has approximately 9.76% larger inside diameter compared to 8-inch PVC pipe (DR-14), and this larger area creates less head loss within the pipe.
Unfortunately, the developer doesn't have a vested interest after that one year. They often site that DI pipe costs more than twice as much as Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) on a price per foot - ignoring many of the factors relating to a successful long- term installation, as well as design life and lower energy and repair costs that are in the best interest of the utility.
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Factors beyond the initial price-per-foot of the pipe such as:
The utility might also prioritize the sustainability/environmental cost and design life when specifying pipe material for developments.
When these real costs are considered, the initial Lot Cost differential is minimal. Similarly, if the utility employs the University of Michigan Life Cycle Cost Studyand the AWWA Buried No Longer Study for material selection, they have the opportunity to significantly increase sustainability and in many regions of the United States, virtually doubling the design life of mains by specifying DI pipe versus allowing developers to use PVC.
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