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•  Permeability of PVC pipes

Permeability is the ability of chemical substances to enter the pipe system through the pipe walls or joints.

The occurrence of this kind of event has been reviewed by various water distribution companies and no major problem has occurred with PVC piping systems.

As an example the intrinsic permeability of PVC is in the order of 10 times lower than for polyolefins.

Every type of piping system is susceptible to permeation. In PVC pipe systems, the joint zone may be a weak point, but the exposed area of the elastomeric seal compared to the total area of the pipe surface is very small.

Specific conditions of installation may be required for severely contaminated areas or specific zones such as petrol stations.¹

1 BPF Plastics Pipes Group 2002 "PVC Pipe Systems for Water Supply" Version 01/02 (Revised