If you were watching the news back in 2014, it was impossible to miss the Flint, MI water crisis. Three years ago, the city opted to change its source of water from the City of Detroit to the Flint River. Unfortunately, the proper anti-corrosion measures were not observed.
As a result, the water leached lead from the aging pipelines and delivered the toxic water straight into people’s homes. In fact, tests revealed that the water in the area contained 10 times the lead limit imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency.
First Steps in Solving the Problem
The good news is that Flint’s water has finally returned to normal, though the residents are still being cautioned to use water filters or consume bottled water. Moreover, the local government also plans to enact long-term solutions that will solve the problem at its core.
Officials also announced that the city will be replacing almost 5,000 lead pipelines with copper. As Mayor Karen Weaver said during the Flint Water Infrastructure Summit, “Copper piping is the best material to use for the service lines because it’s long lasting and impermeable, so contaminants can’t get into our drinking water.”
The metal boasts a long history of reliability, which is why 95% of existing homes are outfitted with copper pipes and 80% of new homes are built with copper piping. Copper is also favored by municipalities because of its capacity to withstand extreme pressures—up to 1,000 pounds per square inch, to be exact. The metal is also very heat resistant, which is why it’s favored for use in both residential and commercial heating systems.
A Golden Opportunity
Of course, Flint’s decision to upgrade its water pipes to copper is an encouraging sign for water pipe manufacturers. With this example, they expect many cities to follow suit, which means they can expect more business to come their way. To be able to deliver excellent products to clients, however, they need to secure high-quality metal from the most trusted copper sheet supplier. After all, copper pipes are only as good as the copper sheets they are made from.
When asking where to buy copper sheets, track records are the best indicators. Likewise, be sure that the supplier you get can provide a wide variety of copper products in special and customized sizes.
Sources:
Flint Chooses Copper to Solve Drinking Water Infrastructure Crisis, ThinkCopper.org
It’s been almost three years since Flint’s water crisis began. What have we learned?, PRI.org
Benefits of Copper Plumbing, Copper.org
