The Municipal Advisory Board (MAB) is celebrating its crystal anniversary. Formed on May 1, 2008, MAB serves as an independent, non-commercial adviser to the municipal and industrial division of the Plastics Pipe Institute Inc. (PPI), and is made up of industry experts who volunteer their time and expertise to improve the design, installation, and operation of municipal high-density polyethylene (HDPE) water piping systems.

Created and organized by PPI’s Camille George Rubeiz, P.E., F. ASCE, co-chair, MAB, and senior director of engineering, municipal and industrial division of PPI, who gathered a team of experts. “This group can objectively advise municipalities on issues related to HDPE piping systems,” he said. “It is also the goal of MAB to improve the standards, design, and installation of HDPE systems. The members lend their expertise to performing joint research on HDPE systems to resolve or clarify issues, and also to better understand and address the needs of the municipalities primarily throughout North America and Europe.”

Recently, MAB issued technical document MAB-9, MAB-9, Design of HDPE Water Mains for the Lateral Spread Seismic Hazard, updated MAB-01, the MAB Generic Electrofusion Procedure for Field Joining of 12 Inch and Smaller Polyethylene (PE) Pipe, and conducted several of its seminars that train utility operators on the proper fusion and electrofusion methods for HDPE water piping systems.  

“This is the only class in the country that is 100 percent focused on HDPE water systems,” Rubeiz said. “And the MAB website — www.plasticpipe.org/MABpubs — is the prime website within PPI that contains the full library of MAB documents, articles, papers and software.”

“The formation of the MAB within PPI was a game-changer as far as identifying the resources needed by municipalities considering use of HDPE piping systems,” stated David M. Fink, president of PPI. “MAB supports the utilities and PPI in the development of installation guidelines, calculators, and education for advancing the proper use of HDPE piping systems.  These tools have further advanced the opportunities for the correct design, installation, and operation of HDPE piping systems.

“Under the leadership of Luis Aguiar, MAB co-chair and co-founder, Senior Associate with Hazen & Sawyer’s Miami-Fort Lauderdale area office, and previously the assistant director of water operations at Miami-Dade Water & Sewer, the MAB has grown to include municipalities members and contributors from across the U.S., Canada and Europe. In addition, the group has representation from municipalities, college professors, contractors, and engineering firms that bring together years of experience and expertise in potable water and wastewater piping infrastructure systems.”

“The 15^th year is known as the Crystal Anniversary,” Rubeiz said, “symbolizing clarity and durability. MAB is now widely known for bringing clarity in helping engineers design long-life, leak-free systems, plus we are a very durable group as evidenced by our longevity of 15 years that will continue for many more years.”

Additional information plus free technical documents can be found at www.plasticpipe.org/MunicipalAdvisoryBoard.