Mexico Facing Water Shortage With Conservation Technology

Mexico Facing Water Shortage With Conservation Technology

World's largest fusible-PVC project brings clean water to thousands.

By Drew L. Wilson

Veracruz, Mexico – Engineer Juan de Dios Rey loves Mexico. It is evident in the way he speaks
about her people and history. We travel down a busy road somewhere near Veracruz, Mexico
and the constant beep of assorted horns tells us that most of the people here don't have a
millisecond to waste. Poverty surrounds the road and the background of brightly colored houses
somehow seems in contrast to the street beggars. The road is full of mammoth potholes and
Juan avoids them in the dented rental.
"Fusible PVC makes sense," he says. He points to the road and says, "It is hard for a politician to
put money into water infrastructure when his population sees that the streets are in such poor
condition. If he fixes a road, they immediately see the results."
His statement speaks volumes about the history of Mexico's water infrastructure. The country has
had water trouble for as long as anyone can remember. Now Mexico is drying up, and has been
cut off from much of the water that used to flow from the U.S. This is troubling when already 12
million of Mexico's citizens have no running water at home. Some 26 million have no sewage
service. The problem is compounded by Mexico's widespread pollution and almost three-quarters
of the country's natural water reserves are contaminated to some degree according to Mexico's
National Water Commission.
Environmental concerns are at the forefront of government plans to deal with the water crises and
funding is on the way. The water agency estimates that Mexico's water infrastructure needs at
least 3 billion US dollars of investment per year for the next decade. In August, the government
unveiled PROMAGUA, a program of federal subsidies designed to attract private investment to
water projects in 178 cities with populations exceeding 50,000 inhabitants. Under the program,
local authorities can apply for subsidies of up to 65% of the cost of a specific project. The
remainder is expected to come from investors.
"Mexico is making giant investments in water infrastructure at this time," says Angel Diaz, of
Mexico City who is a distributor for McElroy. Angel provided the McElroy fusion equipment and
fusion training for the project. "Protecting our water is the key to Mexico's future and I can think of
nothing more important."
Forty percent leak rates are a normal in Mexico City and part of the reason the entire country has
been implementing HDPE for water since the mid 1990's. Mexico's water infrastructure is in such
need of repair, that the country skipped the pipe evolution that most of the world has been
through over the last several decades. They have jumped from concrete pipe to plastics, skipping
all the materials in between. On the whole, they understand the benefits of leak free systems and
fused joints. They understand they can't afford to waste a drop of what for sure seems to be a
dwindling resource. Now, Juan de Dios Rey is showing civil engineers all over Mexico that PVC
can be fused like PE.
The construction project, near Veracruz, is a new 800mm, eleven mile raw-water pipeline. The
line will provide fresh water to thousands of people. It is currently the largest project in the world
utilizing fusible PVC. "I am very proud that we are the ones bringing this technology to Mexico,"
says Juan.
Juan works for Durman, who is now the exclusive producer of Underground Solutions, Inc.'s
(UGSI) products and services throughout Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. Juan thinks
fused PVC will be great for Mexico's water.
For years, PE owned the bragging rights to the only leak-free monolithic piping system on the
market. This was due to PE's unique joining method utilizing heat fusion. But despite heavy
usage in the gas industry and European water market, PE's acceptance in the North American
water market has been slow at best and is typically just used for horizontal directional drilling
under rivers and roads.
PVC, however, has been used heavily in the water industry. A big reason fusible PVC is so
readily accepted is that it already meets all specifications and standards of AWWA and ANSI for
potable water applications. The fact that most water companies have experience working with
PVC is also helpful, but the huge benefit of fused joints, making it a leak free system, is the trump
card that makes it the perfect solution for water companies.
The secret to Fusible PVC is that it consists of two technologies that are not new at all. Polyvinyl
Chloride (PVC) plastic pipe and thermoplastic butt fusion have both been used for some time;
they've just never been used together.
The leak free quality of the pipe due to its fused joints is also pushing major hot buttons for
municipalities and water districts all over the U.S. and Mexico. Growing pressure to decrease
unaccounted-for water has placed this benefit at the top of city officials' lists.
"It doesn't leak," says Juan as if that is all the explanation needed, "and we guarantee it." He is
speaking of the contract Durman has made with the government of Veracruz guaranteeing that if
the pipe leaks, they will fix it free for the life of the system.
"You see," Juan says. "I understand how thirsty Mexico has become. And that every drop of
water does indeed count. It is crucial to the future of Mexico that our water infrastructure
transports our most precious resource with the attention to detail that it deserves."