Putting rigorous quality control measures for plastic piping industry

Around 150 000 tonnes of pipe (PVC and HDPE) is produced annually in South Africa, representing many thousands of kilometres. Plastic piping networks form an integral, expensive, long-term and extremely important part of the infrastructure of this country.

In a country where poor service delivery, failing infrastructure and interrupted power supply have become the norm, it has become important to create a space of unwavering trust within the plastics and piping industry.

There is a need to ensure that the plastic pipes used to provide critical infrastructure to our nation – i.e. water and sanitation, gas and electricity – meet and even surpass global standards, in order for them to last for at least 50 years (their minimum expected lifespan) before needing to be replaced or repaired.

The Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association (SAPPMA) and its members are doing everything in their power to ensure that end-users and ordinary citizens have a consistent water supply.

SAPPMA’s role

SAPPMA is a non-profit, self-regulatory, voluntary organisation that speaks for the producers of plastic pipes and other industry participants. SAPPMA's goals are to instil complete customer confidence in the plastic pipe industry and to guarantee the long-term viability of the sector with the use of premium piping systems.

Since its inception in 2004, SAPPMA has developed into a brand that is well known and recognised by design engineers and customers as an additional safeguard against subpar products, thanks to a firm focus on its mission and the significance of the task at hand.

Because communities all over the country rely on plastic pipes to provide necessary infrastructure and services like water, sanitation and gas, Jan Venter, CEO of SAPPMA, emphasises the need to put rigorous quality control measures in place.

“Our Articles of Association and Code of Conduct stipulate that all members must abide by extremely strict standards. This enables the association to carefully monitor every step of the manufacturing process for the plastic pipes that will have direct contact with people’s drinking water,” he says.

Another key area of focus for SAPPMA’s activities is providing the industry with current and highly technical training and educating specifiers, municipalities and end-users about the significance of high-quality pipes that bear the SAPPMA logo.

Key quality questions

Because of this, the association has emphasised a few of the crucial inquiries that buyers of plastic pipes ought to make, namely:

• Are the plastic pipes or pipe fittings I am specifying, selling or about to buy certified by a SANAS-accredited authority and do they bear the relevant mark?

• Is the manufacturer able to provide support documentation upon request, such as a certificate of conformance of all materials, a quality management plan and an undertaking not to use any bought-in recycled material?

• Has the manufacturer of the plastic pipe been subjected to (and passed) unannounced inspections during production?

• Is the quoted price of the plastic pipe or pipe fittings realistic in terms of current polymer prices?

• Is the supplier/manufacturer accredited by SAPPMA and does the pipe display the SAPPMA logo?

“When you consider that pipes form the bedrock of any community and the vitally important role they play in society, it is important that the quality of piping is not compromised. To ensure that quality is maintained across the board by all our members, SAPPMA carries out independent sampling and testing on all plastic pipes produced by our members to ensure they meet NSF’s internationally recognised ANSI 61 standard for health effects of the components, including piping systems. Additionally, SAPPMA ensures that all members meet the regulatory ISO/SANS quality assurance as a guarantee of the quality of the product that is being supplied,” Venter explains.

A mark of excellence

The strict quality controls and high standards that have been enforced have increased competition within the plastic pipe industry and helped to distinguish SAPPMA members from non-members.

Venter points out that only a few manufacturers are still operating today who are not SAPPMA members – mostly because they failed to follow their established quality standards. As a result, the mere fact that a product bears the SAPPMA seal of approval suffices as proof that it lives up to the extraordinarily high standards to which the industry has grown accustomed.

“Therefore, it should go without saying that a pipe that does not bear the SAPPMA logo is very likely to be of poor quality and runs the risk of failing within a short period of time. For this reason, we stand firm on our belief that there is no room for compromises or taking shortcuts – despite the industry’s fierce competition and narrow profit margins. Our message continues to be: before purchasing, installing or specifying any plastic pipe, make sure you insist it bears the SAPPMA logo,” he concludes.