Life Cycle Analysis for Water and Wastewater Pipe Materials

Abstract

A life cycle analysis (LCA) was performed for six commonly used types of water and wastewater pipe materials: polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ductile iron, cast iron, high density polyethylene (HDPE), concrete, and reinforced concrete. The objectives were to (1) compare the six pipe materials in terms of global warming potential (GWP) through four LCA phases: pipe production, transport, installation, and use; (2) determine the primary source(s) of differences in LCA results; and (3) examine the effectiveness of currently used pipe size selection criteria when LCA GWP is considered. The results for unit lengths of discrete pipe sizes were used to generate functions relating GWP per kilometer of pipe to diameter and material selections. The LCA results were monetized using an emission penalty of