As a Gen-Xer, I am old enough to remember a time without cellphones, when getting connected with someone on the telephone literally meant being confined to a corded phone. Sometimes this was not very enjoyable - like trying to have a conversation with your crush on the kitchen wall phone (it had the longest cord) without mom trying to listen in or travelling in an unfamiliar area desperately searching for a working payphone.

We recently held a Pipe webinar on Irrigation Canals entitled, "Irrigation Solutions | Sustainable Management of Our National Resources," and we wanted to include just a few key points here on the Pipe Blog that may be of particular interest to those of you who missed it. Irrigation districts are increasingly deciding to pipe existing open channels to save water, reduce maintenance, and improve public safety. There are a few ways that this can be accomplished, from reinforced concrete pipe (RCP) and large-diameter fiberglass pipe to steel reinforced polyethylene (SRPE).

I know you all have been waiting with baited breath to find out the in's and out's of the last two considerations when evaluating a large diameter flow thermoplastic sewer solution. To recap, typically, the larger diameters tend to have far less directional changes and lateral connections. Also, interceptors tend to have deeper heights-of-cover in gravity flow applications. Many interceptors are designed to flow 50% to 70% full, with minimal slope, deep covers, and within groundwater (requiring dewatering installation). It is also not unusual for new interceptors/trunks to be miles of pipe using several diameters.

The need for large and ultra-large sanitary sewers is growing as community populations and conveyance flow requirements increase. Many expert studies have estimated that the sanitary sewer market will grow at a 6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in the coming years. With this growth, alternative materials, such as thermoplastics, are being designed more frequently due to the corrosive sanitary sewer environment.