Stainless pipes get green light for North American water market

Outokumpu Stainless Pipe, based in Wildwood, Florida, has received NSF/ANSI-61 approval for its products. The certification, which came into effect February 2016, ensures that neither the materials that form the pipes nor the manufacturing process will result in toxins finding their way into drinking water. Approved products can now be line marked accordingly, along with the pipe size and country of origin.

“It really gives customers confidence that there won't be any toxins when we ship our pipes,” says Markus Nyström, Vice-President for Planning and Procurement at Outokumpu Stainless Pipe.

Certification is a common demand
Within days of the approval, Outokumpu was filling its first order for the certified product – a prearranged 30 metric ton shipment for a customer in Canada.

Nyström notes that having the certification is not strictly required for all water industry applications in the two countries, but is a fairly common demand, one that has to be met by any company that hopes to compete for these projects in the water treatment and distribution sector.

Increasing focus on water treatment
Outokumpu Stainless Pipe has traditionally concentrated on supplying the oil and gas sector, particularly around the US Gulf Coast. The NSF/ANSI-61 approval marks an increased focus on the water treatment and distribution segment for the unit.

“Water is a growing segment. When customers started asking us about it, we decided to go for it,” Nyström says.

Speaking about Outokumpu's potential competitive edge in the new market, he says: “We do have a high-quality reputation in the market and customers do want to buy from us.”