scope:

INTRODUCTION

Plastic pipe has been used with confidence in potable water systems for over 40 years and has been demonstrated to be safe and economical in this application. Over these many years of satisfactory use, the occurrence of permeation has been extremely rare. It has been observed only in situations where there was unusual and severe environmental contamination. In these instances, the question of permeation of potable water piping systems-which can affect all types of piping systems-needs to be addressed. Permeation refers to the phenomenon by which chemical substances in surrounding soils can travel through the walls of buried pipe or of piping components such as gaskets.