IRVING, Texas – Feb. 9, 2026 - An industry training program continues to provide critical benefits to participating communities including eliminating water loss due to pipeline leaks and corrosion, reducing emergency water main breaks, and advancing career opportunities for the local infrastructure workforce.  The program teaches utility technicians, operators, inspectors, and engineers the proper methods for fusion and electrofusion of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) piping systems for potable and wastewater applications.  Heat fusion creates seamless pipeline connections that produce leak-free HDPE pipelines and eliminate the joint failures that plague traditional piping systems.

Sponsored by the Municipal Advisory Board (MAB), an independent, non-commercial adviser to the Municipal & Industrial Division of the Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc, the training program has graduated nearly 150 utility professionals plus college students from 22 cities across the country.

“Our first training session was in 2021,” stated explained Camille George Rubeiz, P.E., co-chair of the MAB and vice president for PPI's Municipal & Industrial Division, “and has grown in a very short time to where we have attendees ranging from Maine to California, and have increased the number of sessions to four a year.”

The program has expanded beyond utility professionals to include college students preparing for infrastructure careers. Carly Wilkerson, a construction engineering student at Purdue University (Class of 2026), praised the hands-on approach: "The best way to learn was through hands-on experiences. The team aspect of the training was extremely vital in our continuous improvement throughout the process."

“HDPE piping systems offer municipalities significant advantages over aging traditional infrastructure,” Rubeiz continued. “The corrosion-proof material eliminates rust-related failures, while heat-fused connections create leak-free joints that prevent loss of non-revenue water (treated water that escapes the system before reaching customers).  Additionally, HDPE's flexibility allows its use for traditional open cut and trenchless installation methods, minimizing property damage and road disruption during infrastructure upgrades.

The training is being held at the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and is led by NWTC’s expert instructors and staff.  The 11

th

training class was held during the summer of 2025 and had special guests from the City of Green Bay.  Mayor Eric Genrich accepted a certificate of appreciation recognizing the city's support for workforce development programs that serve water utility professionals nationwide.

“Not only is this program training a community’s infrastructure workforce, but it is also gratifying to hear feedback from participants that consistently reconfirms the program's high quality,” Rubeiz offered. “Trainees cite ‘hands-on training with instructors who have 25+ years of experience’ and note that the curriculum is ‘informational and fun at the same time.’  Also, when asked how to improve this class, the trainees said ’nothing’" and ‘in my opinion nothing needs to change from what I experienced.’

"MAB and our members will continue this initiative to save communities water, defeat numerous water breaks, add skills to grow the local workforce and build a resilient water system," We are proud to provide technical information, field reports, and expertise from cities across the country to help in the design and installation of resilient and sustainable HDPE water piping systems."

Utility operators, inspectors, and engineers interested in the 2026 training schedule can find additional information at

www.plasticpipe.org/mab

pubs or by contacting

[email protected]

Or by scanning:

Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich (right) with the president of NWTC, the college hosting the training classes, Dr. Kristen Raney and PPI’s Camille George Rubeiz (left).

Purdue University engineering students Dylan Wyatt and Carly Wilkerson with a completed HDPE final project.

Omaha utility team members trained in HDPE fusion techniques. The city is replacing 3,200 miles of deteriorating cast iron water mains using 450-foot reels of HDPE pipe and trenchless installation methods.

Heat-fused HDPE pipe connections create seamless, leak-free joints that eliminate the primary failure points in water distribution systems.

About the Municipal Advisory Board

:

The mission of the Municipal Advisory Board (MAB) is

to improve the design, installation, and operation of municipal HDPE water piping systems through the creation of partnerships among utilities, researchers, designers, contractors, and the HDPE industry.

MAB serves as an independent, non-commercial adviser to the Municipal & Industrial Division of the Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc.

About PPI

:

The Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI) is the major North American trade association representing the plastic pipe industry and is dedicated to promoting plastic as the materials of choice for pipe and conduit applications.  PPI is the premier technical, engineering and industry knowledge resource publishing data for use in the development and design of plastic pipe and conduit systems. Additionally, PPI collaborates with industry organizations that set standards for manufacturing practices and installation methods.