Page 6 - October 2011
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EXHIBITION
Phenomenal growth in Global Plastic Piping
highlighted |By Fred Ndung’u|
The 3rd International Conference various local and international plastic management; storm water drainage;
on Plastics Piping Systems for pipes manufacturers including Lubrizol; domestic grey water systems; district
transportation of fluid, held on Wavin Overseas BV , Netherlands; heating and domestic geothermal
September 14th and 15th this year Borouge, Abu dhabi; South Africa; and technology and systems, all of which
at a Nairobi hotel, heard that the Uganda, Rwanda & Burundi Bureaus are helping in creating and boosting a
use of plastic pipes for water supply of Standards. more sustainable world.
and sanitation works has continued
to increase globally over the years. Eng Murigi suggested the continued Mrs Evah Oduor, KEBS Managing
In water supply, the Director, welcomed
use of plastic pipes is the Minister and other
replacing the use of GI distinguished guests at the
and other type of pipes; function. She appreciated
in sanitation projects, that discussions from the
wastewater plastics are high-level conference
available in the market would guide in application
and demand continues of proper policies to
to rise. guide growth and
In his presentation Eng. standardization of plastic
Peter Murigi explained piping in the developing
that plastic pipes have world.
high resistance to acid Society’s demand on
that forms in sewer nature must balance with
systems; they are light Modern and innovative plastic pipes and accessories nature’s capacity to meet
and thus easy to install; that were exhibited the demands, she said and
can absorb considerable also re-emphasized the
deformation without cracking; hosting of similar meetings to promote need for sustainability in the use of
are cheaper compared to steel awareness and continued marketing of
and concrete pipes (when all costs the various types of plastic pipes. plastic pipes. Essentially, the plastics
are considered including freight, Officiating at the conference opening
installation and service life, a metal event Kenya’s Water Minister, Hon industry must commit to improved
system in most cases proves expensive); Charity Ngilu urged the participants
have high resistance to corrosion and and other citizens to reflect on the environmental outcomes and must
have better flow rate owing to their conference theme that emphasizes
smooth texture that neither, internally the need for plastic pipes to provide continually improve and implement
or externally, corrodes nor scales as in a sustainable and safe means of
metal pipes. distributing valuable drinking water environmentally-friendly and
sustainable practices.
“Our future is a choice not a destiny,â€
she said urging for laying down of a
foundation at the conference for a
In tall buildings, plastic pipes are and facilitating modern sewer systems. sustainable future. She commended
favoured owing to their lightness; yet choice of the conference theme,
polyethylene (PE) pipes can be used Environmentally-friendly and ‘Plastics for a sustainable future’. She
to rehabilitate already existing systems explained that KEBS appreciates and
within an urban set up without the recyclable, plastic pipes are long- understands that plastics pipes have
need for excavation works.
lasting and provide an avenue for new
applications in rain water harvesting
and
Organised by the Kenya Bureau of
Standards (KEBS) and supported by
international and local firms namely,
Borealis Borouge, Wavin, and
Lubrizol, the conference, whose theme
was ‘Plastics for a sustainable future’
heard that standard specifications,
standard test methods and codes have
been developed. In Kenya, KEBS has
developed standards and is liaising
with other standards organization to
ensure set standards for plastic pipes.
 4 The conference attracted Delegates at the conference
representative participants from
Commerce & Industry |October issue 2011
