Some good responses and references...I saw it took several days for anyone to try to help you with your inquiry, but glad to see some jumped in recently trying to help. I suspect initial reluctance was due to the fact there really is no one reference that is the best source for selection of piping materials, nor for that matter that is fully up-to-date nor comprehensive, for all aspects you are seeking. The facts are there are however a whole lot of things to consider about piping, really from cradle to grave. Many are not obvious , and some are not really covered or covered adequately in any common references (see e.g. many issues that have come up and as suggested by gerhardl been discussed by quite experienced folks in the archives of these and other forums).
Like everything else in highly technical and complicated fields, there is probably no substitute for experience when it comes to good and dependable pipe selection. While many pipe salesfolk (reputable ones can provide estimating prices), trade associations and even government can provide helpful and educational guidance as to pipes and all sources should be consulted, one must consider carefully the source(s) and separate "the wheat from the chaff". Be particularly wary about "failure studies" or statistics that are funded/crafted? by special interests, or references that have very few authors or contributors -- consider the funding source, the quality and sources of the data it involves, and also exactly what and what not the chosen data includes - unfortunately just like much of politics and other stuff, one must follow the money. Remember though that it really makes little difference with regard e.g. to interruptions to public water supply, fire protection service, or traffic/trade whether a main is broken and must be taken out of service e.g. by someone digging into it (because they couldn't locate it properly, or it was just vulnerable to impact), ripping out a service line or a tapping accident, as opposed to a break caused by anything else.
While there is some hubbub of what is old and what is new or trendy, remember also all of the most commonly employed piping materials have really been around since about WWII or before, meaning virtually all of at least the larger utilities have at least some direct experience with all or most of them (unless the hands that had that experience have retired).
In summary, the quality of all references are not equal, and neither are all pipes. Finally, while the most expensive product isn't necessarily the best buy, keep in mind particularly what Wikipedia chronicles as the "common law of business balance" (at least some of which I think has been attributed by many to John Ruskin quite long ago), "There is hardly anything in the world that someone cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price alone are that person's lawful prey. It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money – that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot – it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better."
![[smile]](/data/assets/smilies/smile.gif "[smile] [smile]")
!) to be found updated in a sigle book!