Increasing volumes of troubling media reports about our nation’s crumbling water infrastructure are an urgent reminder that a great deal of water systems in the U.S. were built decades if not a hundred years ago or more. These systems are nearing the end of their life spans and must be fixed. Modernizing these systems will be costly and time consuming, which is why it is important that the best choices are available to engineers when considering what materials to use in infrastructure projects. A proven option for updating our water systems is the use of plastic pipes, which have been shown to be cost-effective and durable.