Frans Alferink Wavin M&T (Netherlands) This paper outlines the state of affairs in Europe regarding the trends in the application of thermoplastics pipes for underground infra structures regarding water supply and wastewater discharge. It gives a general overview on the situation in Europe, including a short report on the experiences with these networks. The distribution of materials used in the water and wastewater networks differs very much per region, and also the failure rates / leakage rates are very much depending on the region under consideration. Reference is made to several studies, in which studies more detailed information can be found. Also the trends in the design of water and wastewater networks are discussed. The definition of functional requirements is used to explain the basic design aspects of the system. The basic question in water and wastewater management is; how to keep the clean (potable) water separated from the wastewater, and at the same time to obtain a most economical situation? From this it follows that tightness, smoothness of bore and durability are the most significant requirements for buried pipes. The trend to use smaller diameter pipes for the same application becomes clear, as a result of updated ideas on water and wastewater management. Plastics pipes, when well designed and applied, provide an excellent condition for satisfying these requirements. The paper shows a glance of the situation about the standardization work related to the water and wastewater networks. It explains the position of product standards versus system standards. In the end of the paper a few extraordinary projects are mentioned to illustrate some applications in which thermoplastics pipes have been used. Download the complete story as a Word Document BACK TO