As our readers are aware, due to the recent severe weather and resulting cold spell, many houses found themselves without one of our basic human rights, namely ‘water’, for several weeks in December and January last.
As our readers will be aware a fresh, clean, readily available water network, has become a major issue, leading up to the forthcoming 2011 General Election.
Water Pipes
With the advent of new water charges, soon to be introduced into Ireland by the IMF, who presently own and run Ireland, the out going Fianna Fáil government have issued a series of 12 new guidelines to all County Councils, including Tipperary North and South, regarding the future purchasing specifications of all new water pipes. It is hoped to introduce a new piping system shortly, which will replace the present leaky system recently introduced into Ireland and officially unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Victoria, in 1831.
Department of Environment Purchasing Specifications 2011
1. All pipe purchased must be manufactured using a long hole, surrounded by metal or plastic and centered around that aforementioned hole.
2. All pipes are to be hollow throughout the entire length. Do not use holes of a larger circumference than the pipe’s actual surrounding material.
3. The inside diameter of all pipe must not exceed the outside diameter, as otherwise part of the hole will be on the exterior, thus leading to further leakage.
4. All pipes must be supplied with nothing in the hole, this will then more easily allow water, lime and other unidentified contaminates to flow through the pipe to its intended target, at a later date.
5. All pipe for storage purposes should be supplied free of rust, as rust can be more readily applied on the job site at a future date.
(N.B. Due to the recession in the building trade, most vendors are now able to supply pre-rusted pipes for immediate essential use. If this product is available in your area, it will save valuable time and cut unnecessary extra costs to the taxpayer, thus creating further job opportunities in the public sector.)
6. All pipe over 500ft (153m) in length, in the interest of health and Safety, should have the words ‘long pipe’ clearly painted on each end, so that Council Contractors will be aware that it is a long pipe.
7. Pipe over 2 miles (3.2km) in length must have the words “long pipe” painted in the middle, so that Council Contractor will not have to walk the entire length of the pipe to determine whether or not it is a long pipe.
8. All pipe over 6″ (152mm) in diameter must have the words “large pipe” painted on it, so the Contractor will not mistake it for a small pipe.
9. Flanges must be used on all pipe. Flanges must have holes for bolts totally separate and easily identifiable from the big hole in the pipe’s centre.
10. When ordering 90 degree, 45 degree or 30 degree elbows, be sure to specify right hand or left hand, otherwise contractors may end up travelling in the wrong direction.
11. Be sure to specify, to your chosen supplier, whether you want level, uphill or downhill pipe. If you use a downhill pipe for going uphill, the water can flow in the wrong direction.
12. All couplings should have either right hand or left hand thread specified, but do not mix the threads – otherwise, as the coupling is being screwed on one pipe, it will unscrew from the other end.
Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government – Statement of Strategy 2011-2013.
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