May 1st-7th is Drinking Water Week 2022!

So let’s take a look at Flow-Liner's innovative, green technology that is designed and engineered to protect you, your loved ones, or your customers from contaminated drinking water. Our expandable pressure pipe (EPP), Neofit+Plus, is a proven, environmentally-friendly solution that can be implemented into existing programs as:

• An alternative to the traditional dig-and-replace method, except better – little to no digging, 40-60% less expensive, and installed in just a couple hours.

• An extension to current lead replacement programs that expect decades yet to go before the lead is fully removed.

• An emergency option for unique circumstances where digging is not viable.

• A time saving, affordable and efficient fix for businesses, schools, and homes where children are at high risk.

What’s in your tap? Consumers Need Lead-Free Water NOW

It has been over six years since Flint, Michigan declared a state of emergency over the dangerous levels of lead in their drinking water… 2021 marked the 30th anniversary of the Lead and Copper Rule… yet there are still over 6 to 10 million lead service pipes in North America (EPA.gov). These lead pipes feed water to homes, daycares, and schools, to the most vulnerable of consumers- children. Exposure to lead can seriously harm a child’s health, including damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed growth and development, learning and behavior problems, and hearing and speech problems (CDC.gov). It’s not safe for adults either. Even short-term exposure poses many health risks: abdominal pain, constipation, fatigue, headaches, irritability, memory loss, pain or tingling in the hands and/or feet. Long term exposure to lead may also be at risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, and reduced fertility (CDC.gov).

Thirty years ago, we learned how dangerous lead in our drinking water is… Six years ago, we were reminded that we still have a very serious lead problem. Most Lead Replacement Programs are expecting many years, decades even, to go before their consumers are provided with clean water. How many more years are you willing to wait to get safe, lead-free water? We must begin to utilize proven, certified technologies to provide all consumers with clean, lead-free drinking water.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will EPP protect my water from lead?        ​​​​​
A third party lab, using scientifically-proven methods, estimates the high quality PET utilized in our product will exceed 100 years in service. 

What about BPA?
Our EPP material is virgin PET. PET is not a material that contains BPAs; therefore, it will not contaminate your drinking water. 

Will EPP impact the flow rate?
The flow capacity is only marginally influenced by the EPP. In most cases, the smooth wall of the EPP is an improvement and will actually increase flow rate.

Why Choose EPP instead of Copper?
Copper can also be toxic when consumed. Copper corrodes when it comes into contact with acidic water. Ironically, in an effort to provide clean bacteria-free drinking water, chloramines and sulfites are added to the water system, increasing its acidity, and corroding copper faster. Ingesting high levels of copper can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Very-high doses of copper can cause damage to your liver and kidneys, and can even cause death (EPA.gov).

What You Can Do:

• Contact your local water authority and request a Neofit+Plus pilot 

• ​​​​​​Contact your regional EPA office. Find yours here

• Send us your comments, thoughts, questions, and concerns here

COVID-19 Response: 

We are committed to the health and safety of our customers with water and wastewater lining needs. Flow-Liner is considered an essential service provider during the Coronavirus outbreak, and we will remain open during this time of crisis where emergency response to infrastructure maintenance is imperative.

Flow-Liner & Sanexen Water Urge EPA to Include Updated Cost-Saving Technologies in Lead and Copper Rule

Zanesville, February 12, 2020 – Flow-Liner and their partner Sanexen Water, Inc. have submitted joint comments to the Environmental Protection Agency on the proposed revisions to the lead and copper rule. Flow-Liner supplies and installs Neofit+ expandable pressure pipe for potable service lines and Sanexen Water, Inc., is a manufacturer and installer of Aqua-Pipe® structural lining of water mains.

The Lead and Copper Rule was first published in 1991. Since then it has undergone previous revisions, but the current proposed rule is the most significant revision since its first publication. Comments provided by Flow-Liner and Sanexen Water touched on many sections of the proposed rule.

Fundamentally, Flow-Liner and Sanexen Water stated to EPA that we favor in-line technology being declared a proper replacement for lead pipe in service lines. Where the statute demands replacement, EPA should allow in-line technology to be installed in existing lead service lines. With prudent adjustment of rules accordingly, the nation’s drinking water systems and owners of homes and other buildings with lead service lines will benefit from hundreds of millions of dollars in savings while improving the safety of their drinking water.

EPA Administrator Wheeler has promoted science, research and development in water industry technologies. In addition, innovation has prevailed and delivered new technologies that are now available and have been certified by scientists and engineers all around the world to “address conditions that contribute to increased concentrations of lead in water for human consumption.” However, despite EPA’s promotion of the latest science and the technological advancements occurring in the industry and some amendments to the lead and copper rule throughout the decades, it is our experience that there remains much uncertainty among public and private water systems throughout the U.S. about the types of new, certified materials that may be used to comply with federal regulations. Clearly, we are at a time in the water industry where the gravity of the water infrastructure challenges and human health consequences mandate that maintaining status quo methodologies is unacceptable.

Flow-Liner and Sanexen Water support EPA’s proposal for water utilities to develop inventories of lead service lines and provide a plan for the replacement, or rehabilitation of lead service lines. We encourage EPA to work with other federal agencies, local and state authorities, private water systems, academia and industry to develop a comprehensive method for water systems to conduct LSL inventories. We also urge EPA to clarify “procedures” when crafting LSLR plans because those plans must include all water conveyance technologies, including trenchless technologies, that are certified to remove lead contamination in drinking water.

In the proposed rule, EPA did not address management, disposal, or recycling of removed LSLs nor their respective economic and environmental costs. Without federal guidance, states are developing their own policies that are inconsistent. For instance, Wisconsin (ch NR 661.02(3)(c), Wis. Admin. Code) recommends lead pipe materials removed from water services be managed through reclamation rather than disposal. Michigan’s updated lead and copper rule (June 2018) does not have any requirements on how to dispose of lead service lines. Michigan’s LCR is silent on whether the LSL must be removed from the ground and abandonment of a LSL is an acceptable practice. Removal of such lead material requires some form of disposal or recycling which produces a much higher environmental impact than trenchless lining. Lead materials removed must be transported to a reclamation site or a recycling site to then be recycled for use in other products (i.e. lead-acid batteries). With inconsistent policies, water systems cannot be certain the removed LSL eventually ends up in an approved landfill or is recycled. 

The environmental impact in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions alone from open-trench removal, transportation, melting, and re-use much greater exceeds the GHG emissions when compared to relining the lead service line. Flow-Liner and Sanexen Water included results from a recent evaluation showing that trenchless lining technologies can reduce GHG emissions by nearly -88% when compared to open trench replacement of a LSL 50 feet in length. Yet, in the proposed rule, EPA is silent on the use of available environmentally friendly, “green” infrastructure technologies. This is profound given the recent and historical trends toward policies favoring green projects.

Finally, Flow-Liner and Sanexen Water agreed with EPA’s proposal to improve public education including information about lead service line replacement, or substitution programs available to water customers. Clearly, water systems cannot unilaterally implement the actions that are needed to reduce levels of lead in drinking water. Homeowners must be proactively engaged. That includes informing homeowners about all viable, certified options that remove lead contamination from their drinking water.

Water ratepayers across the U.S. will benefit through significant reductions in future rate hikes when water utilities use the combined pipe lining technologies in their drinking water asset management plans. “Using our technologies in an asset management plan has multiple benefits of helping water systems eliminate contaminants, reduce the use of complex treatment techniques and reduce the amount of increase in their future water rates,” said Jeff Tanner, President of Flow-Liner, Zanesville, Ohio, installer of the Neofit+ lining system for service pipelines from the curb to the home or business. Tanner added, “Combining Sanexen’s aqua-pipe structural lining technology for drinking water mains and our Neofit+ system for the service lines just makes sense. It’s more efficient and timelier from a project management standpoint and it creates even more cost-effective benefits for water utilities like helping them reduce the chemical treatments in drinking water.”

Both Flow-Liner and Sanexen Water have been working with Water Research Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (2008 and 2017) on research and development of their technologies.  

National Drinking Water Advisory Council Meets to Address Multiple Issues Facing Water Authorities -by Tim Cansler

On December 4th and 5th the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA)  National Drinking Water Advisory Council   (NDWAC) met to discuss and offer recommendations to EPA on multiple  agenda items  under consideration by the EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.

Jeff Tanner, Flow-Liner President and CTO( www.flow-liner.com ), addressed the EPA's NDWAC about the recently published LCR (Lead & Copper Rule). Specifically, Tanner mentions, "We are very encouraged and support EPA proposing revisions in the LCR to strengthen “consumer awareness”. This means informing consumers, ratepayers and homeowners about  ALL tested and certified technologies that are available. Flow-Liner installs the Neofit virgin PET liner inside lead service lines that eliminates lead contaminants from drinking water.Tanner said, "Our technology can save ratepayers, homeowners and water authorities 30-60% compared to dig and replace"

It is Flow-Liner's experience that many water authorities are running into liability issues due to the need of demolition inside of homes during replacement programs. Using technologies like Neofit+Plus, water systems can reduce liability. Tanner explained to the NDWAC that all Flow-Liner needs is access to the pipe inside the home at the water meter. There is no requirement to dig or demolition inside of homes and no breaching of walls or floors. Tanner said, "With the Neofit system, if needed, a water system can also install a test port at the water meter for liner integrity inspections. This allows the water authority or homeowner to inspect the liner at any time."

For the past 12 years, Flow-Liner has utilized the virgin PET lining system for lining leaking potable water services with a 100% success rate. The PET lining was also used for lining lead service lines in the first U.S. pilot installation in 2008. The lined pipes were retested in 2016 after being isolated and sitting idle for 8 years. This extreme test of the Neofit product showed excellent results, proving the expandable pressure pipe liner has a long-term barrier protection against lead. There are also case histories from Europe showing installations of PET lining that were performed in the 1990’s and are still an effective barrier against lead.

Chemical treatment control is now the only resolution suggested by EPA to immediately reduce lead levels. Neofit lining technology takes just a couple of hours to line a 50 ft. service line and is recognized as an immediate return to service under the NSF 61 listing. Tanner explained the "Proposed LCR is allowing up to 35 years for replacing all lead service lines in the US." This is a method similar to mitigating radon exposure in homes. But Tanner questions the NDWAC, "What if your house is years away from having the lead service line replaced in a replacement program? Why not take advantage of trenchless technologies and remove the problem immediately, or at a minimum, include lining technologies like Neofit in a lead service line replacement program until replacement can be accomplished."

Tanner also asked NDWAC members to remember that, "The LCR is for both lead and copper. There are also high copper exposure concerns. Replacing lead pipes with copper pipes is choosing the lesser of two evils." Tanner explained that as copper pipes corrode, they release high levels of copper into the drinking water. More and more copper is being put into the ground in current replacement programs. Tanner argued that, "The use of trenchless technologies like Neofit will also need to be available as these copper levels will increase over the years and may become a health hazard to the public."

About the Author: Tim Cansler, Founder & Chief Strategist of Cansler Consulting, is recently celebrating his company's 14th year in serving others with government relations strategies. He has provided priceless insight and direction to Flow-Liner as we navigate DC's legislative and regulatory processes while supporting our mission to achieve clean drinking water by use of cost-effective, time-efficient trenchless technology for all. Visit Cansler Consulting's website here .

Neofit+Plus Main Connection System

Nearly released in fall of 2019—The Neofit®+Plus Main Connection System allows the NSF 61 certified Neofit+Plus expandable pressure pipe liner to be installed in ½” to 1” ID water service lines from inside water mains 8” to 12” ID. This eliminates the need to dig up the water main in the street at each service connection. Only one access is required at each end of the water main pipe to allow the lining of each connecting service pipe. Additionally, if trenchless lining methods, such as CIPP, are employed in the water main, the Main Connection System can be utilized to line the service pipes at each tap from inside the lined water main pipe.

Flow-Liner and Sanexen Water on Capitol Hill

Jeff Tanner, President of Flow-Liner Systems, and Ben Côté, President of Sanexen Water, had a busy week in DC meeting with EPA Officials, Senators, and Congressmen regarding this year's release of the Lead & Copper Rule re-write, expected to publish this summer. Having previously partnered with the EPA, Flow-Liner in 2017 and Sanexen in 2012, they are again doing their part in providing valuable information on the newest innovative and green technologies that can accelerate the nation's water infrastructure recovery initiative. The current LCR was released in 1991 before many new, safe and cost-effective technologies existed. Now, approaching 30 years later, we urge the EPA to include such options to allow water systems throughout the nation to utilize trenchless technology solutions that are not only cost-effective, but certifiably safe and environmentally-friendly. Jeff also had the opportunity to meet with Rep. Troy Balderson on drinking water and infrastructure.

Neofit+Plus Live Demonstrations

In a joint effort with LMK Technologies and SEH Engineering, Flow-Liner's Neofit+Plus System was successfully installed in a 1" lead water service line in Wauwatosa, WI and a 1" copper water service line in Van Meter, IA. Neofit+Plus's popularity continues to grow as the cost-effective, environmentally-friendly lining system is recognized as an alternative to lead service line replacement. 

Coming Soon: 

Did you miss the demos? Fear not! Flow-Liner Systems will be hosting another Neofit+Plus demonstration soon at their main office in Zanesville, OH! Stay tuned and be ready to save the date.

Fall Product Spotlight

The 450 chamber provides easy access for inspection, cleaning and maintenance of private or public sewer and drainage systems. For a limited time only, receive a discount on your next Inspection Chamber order when you mention the promo code: 10CHAMBERS17
System Benefits

• Light-weight for easy installation with up to 5 inlets into one base

• Manufactured with high quality polypropylene

• non-porous, smooth internal surface

• Can be adapted for standard traffic rated manhole cover and frame

• Green area light-weight non-traffic bearing cover available

• Choice of inlet sizes, 4”, 6” or mixed 4”/6”

• Excellent chemical and corrosion resistance

• Tested to minimum 50+ year life expectancy

Flow-Liner® Has a Solution to Lead

The NSF 61 approved Neofit®+Plus Potable Pipe Lining System is a non-invasive option for leaking underground water services with inside diameters from 1⁄2" to 2". The Neofit® liner forms a continuous barrier between existing pipe and drinking water – ideal for Lead Replacement Programs. The liner can be installed in steel, copper, plastic and lead pipes, and in lengths up to 300ft. The smooth bore and thin-wall liner provides the same or increased flow capacity. Neofit® often only requires a single small access pit, saving yards, sidewalks, floors, and more, from demolition. The speedy Neofit®+Plus process allows for many installations a day and immediate return to service.  Save 30-60% by ditching the traditional dig-&-replace method and upgrading to Neofit®+Plus, a proven solution with over 25 years’ experience.

Flow-liner® in Israel

Jeff Tanner, President and CTO of Flow-Liner® Systems, enjoyed his first trip to Israel with new Flow-Liner® Regional Installer, D&I Development and Implementation. At the WATEC 2017 show in Tel Aviv, he also met up with Wavin, Flow-Liner’s long time supplier of Neofit.

WRWA 8/17/17

Flow-Liner® Systems, LMK Technologies and SEH have joined forces to promote the NSF-61 approved Neofit®+Plus System for ½” – 2” water service pipe rehabilitation. Neofit®+Plus dramatically reduces the time (capable of several installations a day), cost (35-45% less) and mess (one, two or zero small access pits) when compared to traditional dig-&-replace method.
Come witness with Neofit®+Plus can do for you.    WRWA Outdoor Expo, Aug 24, Plover, WI