ANSI/AWWA C200-97 Steel Water Pipe

What is the AWWA C200-97 Standard?

The ANSI/AWWA C200-97 Standard (PDF) , officially titled "Steel Water Pipe - 6 In. and Larger," is the authoritative manufacturing guideline for large-diameter steel water pipes. It was developed by the American Water Supply Engineers Association (AWWA). This standard details all technical requirements for the materials, design, manufacture, testing, and delivery of steel pipes with diameters of 6 inches (approximately 150 mm) and above used in water supply systems. This standard is not only a common specification for water projects in the United States but is also widely followed by many engineering projects worldwide that adopt the American standard system.

When you see an engineering project specifying steel pipes conforming to the "C200-97" standard, it's almost certain that these pipes will be used in municipal water supply trunk lines, large-scale water transmission projects, raw water diversion, or as critical infrastructure such as pressurized sewage pipes, and are unrelated to fuel or automotive systems.

What Pipe Materials and Processes Does the Standard Cover?

The AWWA C200-97 standard adopts an open approach to steel pipe manufacturing methods, covering several mainstream processes in the industry:

1. Welded steel pipe: This is the most common form, including longitudinally submerged arc welded (LSAW) pipe, which offers high production efficiency and stable quality, and spiral submerged arc welded (SSAW) pipe, suitable for extra-large diameters.

2. Seamless steel pipe: Typically used for applications with relatively small diameters or special requirements for uniformity.
3. Rolled steel plate pipe: Can be manufactured in a factory or on-site, offering high flexibility.

Core Technical Requirements Specified in the Standard:

●Materials: It references mature ASTM material standards (such as A139, A252, etc.), clearly defining the grades and properties of steel.
●Design and wall thickness: Provides scientific formulas for calculating wall thickness. Engineers need to comprehensively consider the internal working pressure of the pipe, the load of the external soil cover, and necessary safety factors to determine the final pipe wall thickness.
●Manufacturing and process: Specifies in detail the welding process, weld quality inspection, pipe end machining accuracy, and the roundness and straightness of the pipe body.
● Coating and Corrosion Protection: Standards mandate that pipelines undergo both internal and external corrosion protection. A common combination is to use a cement mortar lining on the inner wall to ensure water quality and durability, and a coating such as polyethylene wrapping tape or epoxy coal tar pitch on the outer wall to prevent soil corrosion. Specific corrosion protection measures are usually detailed in other specialized AWWA standards (such as C205, C210, and C214).
● Testing and Inspection: Every pipeline must undergo a hydrostatic pressure test before leaving the factory, combined with non-destructive testing, coating inspection, and dimensional checks to ensure the product's flawless quality.

Related Supporting Standards:

In actual engineering projects, C200-97 is often used in conjunction with the following AWWA standards to form a complete steel pipe specification system:

C203: Coal tar enamel external corrosion protection
C205: Cement mortar lining and corrosion protection
C210: Liquid epoxy lining and external corrosion protection
C214: Polyethylene tape external corrosion protection
C602: On-site repair and coating of cement mortar lining

Importance of AWWA C200 Standard: 

ANSI/AWWA C200 steel water pipes are the authoritative and fundamental standard in the North American water engineering field. It ensures the safety, reliability, durability, and hygiene of water pipelines and serves as the core technical basis for engineering design, bidding and procurement, and final acceptance.

Read more: Packaging Methods of Anti-corrosion Spiral Steel Pipes (SSAW)