PVC pipe in potable water pipe system 2

[olmedo]

Does anyone know of any health hazard associated with the use of PVC pipes in potable water system?

 

[thewellguy]

No. We have been using it for over 20 years in water well systems and have not had any problems. You can check with your local code, however it should be fine.

 

[bimr]

No. PVC pipe falls under ANSI/NSF Standards 60 and 61. Standard 61 references the maximum contaminant levels (MCL) set by the USEPA. These standards should appear on the piping producsts intended for potable use.

 

[rconner]

As bimr has quite appropriately pointed out you should probably make sure your specific vendor of all piping materials for potable water applications is listed or certified in accordance with ANSI/NSF Standards 60 and/or 61 standards (or otherwise as required in your area). I believe most recent standard ANSI/NSF 61 requires at least some sort of formulation review of the materials used to make the pipe, and maybe even at least subject to periodic sampling of some actual new pipes from the actual factories for various laboratory testing. You also did not state whether your concern lies in piping for new construction or whether there is instead concern for an older water system. There have been some past issues with leaching of small amounts of various substances (vinyl chloride monomer, various “organotins”, etc.) from pvc piping into potable water that has caused some authorities in multiple areas some concerns (see for example as discussed at EPA sites

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwh/c-voc/vinylchl.html

and

http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/tcr/pdf/permleach.pdf),

as well as “permeation” incidents where various volatile contaminants from contaminated external environments have passed from the unpressurized external environment into even pressurized various plastic potable water mains, including pvc as mentioned in the former reference and also other sites such as

http://deq.mt.gov/LUST/TechGuidDocs/Techguid16.pdf

.
I think at least in the USA there was some sampling of water from many actual working pvc pipelines that took place back in the early 1990’s, but I am not sure what if any comparable testing of actual water from pipelines (for example for the aforementioned substance) is going on today.
Other than that, there is also what appears to be a substantial contemporary debate on various “life cycle” issues concerning this piping, that appears to have quite powerful chemical and some trade industries etc. forces opposing various environmental and other groups -- e.g. see different takes on these issues as discussed in the presentations at

http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/1/feature_pro.html?id=c373e900e010c81c8f6a17245d830100

and opposing views at e.g.

http://www.cleanproduction.org/library/PVC_WNASeoul.pps

(the latter report in slides 38 on indicates there are now “bans” in many areas/businesses/countries etc. involving pvc piping and other products).
I'm sure you could now independently find a great deal more information pro and con on these issues with a few keyword and a good search engine.