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What is barrier pipe?

The medium density polyethylene (MDPE) water pipe used in domestic plumbing systems may be non-porous as far as water is concerned, but some soil contaminants commonly found on previously-developed land will degrade the plastic. Without an impervious barrier, this may eventually put the water supply at risk.

Barrier pipe incorporates an inner aluminium layer bonded between the inner and outer polyethylene walls of the pipe. This is impervious to these substances and will prevent hydrocarbons and other associated chemicals from entering the water supply or degrading the inner lining of the pipe.

Barrier pipe can also be used to prevent oxygen and other gases from entering the system and causing corrosion.

When must I use barrier pipe?

If you are building on greenfield land (land that hasn’t previously been developed) and there is no known history of soil pollution, standard HDPE pipe is usually acceptable.

If y

What is a rodding eye?

A rodding eye (also sometimes called a rodding point) is an access point for inspecting and cleaning of a surface water (stormwater) drain. it features a short length of pipe set at an angle of 45 degrees to the main pipe, and an airtight oval cover secured with screws is set at 45 degrees to the short pipe so that its face is parallel to the main pipe. This also facilitates access to the main pipe for drain rods and inspection equipment.

Why is a rodding eye sealed?    

There are two reasons why a rodding eye is sealed. First, to prevent debris from entering the

There are two ways to determine the load-bearing capacity of manhole and access covers – the FACTA rating or BS EN 124:2015. So, what is the difference and which should you be using?

Manhole or access cover?

Let’s start with explaining the difference between a manhole cover and an access cover, as this is easy.

A manhole cover is a form of access cover, but not all access covers are manhole covers. A manhole is large enough for a (reasonably fit and slender) man to pass through and enter an underground chamber – generally speaking, part of the storm or foul water drainage system. Because public drains are most commonly laid along roads, this is where you are most likely to

A drainage system gully features a top opening that allows storm or wastewater to run from roads, pavements and other large impervious areas into the drainage system. Floor gullies also feature internally, for example in processing areas where equipment washdown is carried out and in food processing plants. An outlet on one or more sides of the gully chamber connects the gully to the rest of the drainage system.

The most common example of a drainage gully is the type installed adjacent to the kerb on asphalt roads; these are very simply designed with the outlets opening directly into the gully chamber, but where a drain system is used for sewage or wastewater, or if the gully is located inside a building, a trapped gully must be used to prevent gases or foul odours from the drain escaping.

While gully tr

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If you are installing a PVC home water system pipeline to a sewer main line made of clay pipe, a special coupling is required. In most cases, publicly-owned sewer main lines are already fitted with the proper Y-fittings, so all you need is a standard PVC to clay pipe connector and a large slotted-head screwdriver.

Step 1               Measure the diameter of the connector on the end of the sewer line to make sure it is exactly the same dimension as the diameter of the PVC pipe you are using. If not, you will need an adapter with one end matching the diameter of the

To understand why storm and wastewater should be kept separate in drainage systems, we need to know the differences between them.

Stormwater (also called surface water) is the term used for falling water (precipitation) occurring naturally in the environment – rain, sleet, melting snow and hail. As such, it contains negligible levels of pollution and doesn’t need to be filtered or treated before it reaches natural watercourses or underground aquifers. Returning the clean water to watercourses is very important as it helps wildlife to thrive by maintaining good water levels and flow.

Stormwater will readily soak into permeable surfaces such as loose earth and grassed areas, and will gradually find its way through soil and subsoil layers.

Where surfaces are impermeable – roofs, pavements, roads – stormwater cannot be absorbed by the environment and

The causes of price increases in 2020-21

The years 2020-2021 saw a perfect storm of factors that in combination, contributed to plastic price rises as high as 40% in some sectors. While many of these factors relate to supply shortages, this period also saw a hike in the demand for plastics, particularly in packaging (which is interesting given the global trend towards more sustainable, non-plastic packaging), which exacerbated the situation further.

Let’s look at the factors that created supply shortages.

Extreme weather

In August 2020, Hurricane Laura hit the US Gulf Coast and overnight, petrochemical plant shutdowns suspended US production by 15%. Experts predicted it would take six months for production backlogs to clear and operations to return to normal.

But then as if on cue, exactly six months later in February 2021, the Gulf Coast was hit by the Big Freeze. With production halted at