Flexible 316 stainless steel water transmission pipelines have been successfully applied in several major cities in Asia and are now rapidly gaining traction in the Italian market, offering a durable, safe, and sustainable solution to reduce water leakage.

In recent years, with support from Team Stainless, several Italian water utilities have launched projects to replace traditional water supply pipes with 316 stainless steel pipes to reduce leakage rates. By the end of last year, approximately 700 installations were completed in Brescia, Ancona, and Belluno, marking a significant step forward in the adoption of this technology in Italy.

In Brescia, A2A has installed over 100 stainless steel water connections, including a comprehensive replacement of all connections along about one kilometer of a main pipeline in a residential area with high leakage rates. This project marked the first time in Italy that water pipes along an entire street were fully replaced in a single project, representing a major upgrade from earlier single-point pilot projects. The project utilized 280 meters of 40-millimeter partially corrugated stainless steel pipes to complete 106 water connections, with plans to complete another 30 replacement projects by the end of last year.

In Ancona, Vivaservizi has completed the replacement of 130 water connections along a single road and plans to retrofit an additional 300 connections in Ancona and neighboring towns. The total length of the related pipeline network is about 15 kilometers, with connections accounting for approximately 15% of that total.

In Belluno, SIB has replaced 60 water connections and plans to complete another 60 replacements in the coming weeks.

Dr. Gaetano Ronchi, speaking on behalf of Team Stainless, said: "The application of 316 stainless steel flexible water pipes has proven to significantly reduce leakage rates in water supply networks. This pipe material is not only durable, safe, and sustainable, but also easy to install. Team Stainless is pleased to continue collaborating with water utilities across Italy, supporting the implementation of stainless steel water transmission pipelines in multiple water authorities and jointly addressing the challenge of water leakage in networks. Reducing leakage is not just about infrastructure upgrades—it is about sustainability, the resilience of water supply systems, and protecting one of the planet's most precious resources: water."

The successful application of stainless steel water pipelines in major Asian cities has fully demonstrated their effectiveness and highlighted their significant potential:

Tokyo — Since adopting stainless steel water pipes, the leakage rate in the water supply network has dropped significantly from 15.5% in 1979 to 3.5% in 2021. Between 1979 and 2021, with the widespread use of flexible stainless steel pipes, the number of leakage repairs in Tokyo decreased by 88%. It is estimated that these improvements resulted in cumulative savings of approximately US$3.5 billion in Tokyo between 1980 and 2018, with hundreds of millions of dollars still being saved each year.

Taipei — As of 2024, the Taipei Water Department reduced its leakage rate from 27% to 10.3% by replacing 66% of its water transmission pipelines with stainless steel pipes. The application of stainless steel water pipelines also helped the Taipei Water Department save 40% in electricity consumption, equivalent to 63 GWh of electricity saved and approximately 31,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions reduced annually (comparing 2006 with 2024 data).

Seoul — Following a significant reduction in its leakage rate, it has shut down four of its ten water treatment plants, reducing costs and improving operational efficiency.