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CORE EXPERTISE

ELEVEN QUESTIONS

SERVICES

 I- INVESTIGATIVE

     FUEL

     PLASTICS 

     OILS AND FAT

     WATER/AIR

     CORROSION

     EMULSIONS

  SEPARATION SCIENCE

     RESEARCH

 II- ANALYSIS TECH

 III-CONTRACT TESTING

      BIODIESEL 

      GLYCERIN 

      B100  FEEDSTOCK   

      FATS AND OILS

  IV-ENVIROSCIENCE

      WATER SYSTEMS

      ODORS/AROMA 

     PROCESSES

PROJECTS

MMAKE PAYMENTS HERE

WATER SYSTEMS AND CHEMISTRY EVALUATIONS: CORROSION AND PIPING FAILURES

Water Sources 

We can analyze and characterize your water source, review and evaluate legacy data.   

Industrial systems in various configurations frequently convey water for multiple uses throughout large facilities.  Water can be used for far ranging applications, such as making steam, cooling, ingredient formulations, and drinking water.   The water source, which is chosen to match the quality needs for the intended use, can originate from municipal systems, wells, recycled waste water, steam condensate, and rainwater.  The design of a water system should accommodate the expected, as well as unexpected, variations in water chemistry.  However, water source chemistry can change unexpectedly due process modifications, infrastructure and equipment failure, bacterial growth, and, for well and surface water sources in particular, slower changes due to climate or rapid changes due to weather events.      

Interactions of Water with Piping

We can examine piping and water chemistry to pinpoint the cause. 

Interaction of water with piping, either plastic or metal, can add impurities to the water, and when corrosive, or otherwise reactive, can cause the piping to fail, leading to costly damages, or make otherwise potable water unsafe to drink.  Recently, considerable attention to lead contamination of drinking water has surfaced in the media due to excursions of the EPA lead and copper rule.  Some water systems still contain legacy lead piping or lead soldered joints of copper pipe, despite widespread knowledge of the potential harm to the population caused by such systems.  Corrosion of metal piping is also a frequent cause of system failures.   

Plastic Piping

Conflicting government regulations can befuddle attempts to rectify water chemistry issues, and municipalities often lack the resources needed to make needed adjustments, or make changes in infrastructure.  While piping for drinking water is specified as such, and is normally acceptable for most applications, long term exposure of plastic piping to chlorine residuals, oxidants, or other chemicals can cause premature failures, as well. Common plastic piping/fitting materials include polyolefins, such as polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE), polybutylene (PB), poiyvinylchloride (PVC), and chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC).  Fittings and couplings can be comprised of various phenolics, epoxies, and acetals.   For additional info on plastics click here.   

System Evaluations

Water system piping failures can also happen due to poor mechanical design or installation, and imperfect piping manufacturing practices.   Just where responsibility for a leaky system lies often is only apparent after a full examination of the pipe material and internal surfaces.

We provide several consulting and laboratory services to assist in discovering the cause of these system failures, and finding suitable solutions.   Contact us for more info. 

*Water System Failure Investigations

*Inner Pipe Surface Deposit Analysis

*Corrosion Deposits Analysis

*Piping Material Analysis

*Water Chemistry

*Water Impurity Identification

*Monitoring Equipment Evaluations

*Bacteria Involvement Evaluations

*Lead and Copper Corrosion in Potable Systems

*Treatment Technology Evaluations

*Data Analysis and Review

*Analytical Methodology Recommendations

*Drinking Water Permit Excursions 

For rapid service, Contact Us by email, or by phone.