In-Place Lead Pipe Lining for Safer Drinking Water

In December 2013, the European Union adopted the World Health Organization quality standard for lead in drinking water of 10 μg/l, or 10 ppb. At the time, estimates suggested that approximately 25% of domestic dwellings in the EU had a lead pipe somewhere in the water supply system, potentially putting up to 120 million people or more at risk of lead exposure through drinking water.

For water suppliers, the presence of lead pipes in service lines and domestic supply systems created a major compliance challenge. Traditional corrective remedies often included phosphate-based chemical dosing, conventional dig-and-replace methods, pull-through replacement, moling, or slip lining. While these approaches can be effective in certain situations, they may also involve disruption, excavation, access challenges, extended service interruptions, or ongoing treatment requirements.

What Is the ePIPE Process?

The ePIPE process is an in-place pipe restoration method designed to prepare the interior of existing drinking water pipes and apply a protective barrier coating inside the pipe. For lead drinking water pipes, this means the pipe can be restored without dismantling the piping system or digging up the service line.

The patented ePIPE process and products are designed to help reduce lead leaching from protected pipes. In testing, ePIPE-protected lead pipes reduced lead leaching to non-detectable levels when measured at regulators’ cut-off criteria. When the pipes were made ready for service within the 2-hour return-to-service time frame, specific leachates, including Bisphenol A and Epichlorohydrin, also measured non-detectable when evaluated at regulators’ cut-off levels.

Why Lead Pipe Remediation Matters

Lead service lines and lead-containing plumbing components can contribute to elevated lead levels in drinking water. Because lead exposure is a serious public health concern, water suppliers, property owners, utilities, and regulators have continued to seek practical solutions that can reduce lead at the tap while minimizing disruption to homes, buildings, and communities.

In-place lining offers an alternative to full pipe replacement in suitable applications. Instead of excavating and replacing the pipe, the existing pipe is cleaned, prepared, and internally coated to create a protective barrier between the pipe wall and the drinking water.

Development and Testing of ePIPE for Lead Service Lines

To provide a solution for reducing lead in drinking water service lines, U.S.-based Pipe Restoration Technologies, LLC, also known as PRT, and U.K.-based Morrison Utility Services partnered through a U.K.-based joint venture, Pipe Restoration Services, or PRS.

With more than 12 years of experience at the time, ePIPE was already a proven technology used extensively for small-diameter water pipe lining in the United States, the European Union, and other parts of the world.

The product development program focused on lead lining remediation began in 2010. The program brought together ePIPE specialists from the United States and Canada with experts from Morrison’s water utility service group. U.K. trials included in-ground installation setups and testing on existing lead service lines ranging in diameter from 12mm to 50mm.

Approved for Public Water Supply Applications in the U.K.

The U.K.’s Secretary of State approved the use of ePIPE for in-situ application to public water supply systems. Water-carrying pipes, including lead pipes, with an internal bore as small as 12mm can be restored in place using the ePIPE process.

In suitable applications, the restored pipes can be ready to return to service within a 2-hour time frame.

A Less Disruptive Alternative to Lead Pipe Replacement

For utilities, municipalities, and property owners dealing with lead service line challenges, ePIPE provides a practical in-place restoration option. By applying a protective barrier coating inside existing lead drinking water pipes, ePIPE can help reduce lead leaching while avoiding the disruption often associated with excavation and full pipe replacement.

For small-diameter drinking water pipes, including lead service lines, ePIPE offers a proven approach to pipe restoration, lead remediation, and faster return to service.