The Fusion/Electrofusion of HDPE Water Piping Systems Program, sponsored by the Municipal Advisory Board (MAB), is providing 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 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 joint failures that plague traditional piping systems.
Since its inception in 2021, the program has graduated nearly 150 utility professionals and college students from 22 cities across the country, according to Camille George Rubeiz, P.E., co-chair of the MAB and vice president for the Plastics Pipe Institute's Municipal & Industrial Division. "Our first training session was in 2021," Rubeiz stated, "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. 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 held at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and led by NWTC's expert instructors and staff. The 11th training class, held during the summer of 2025, had special guests from the City of Green Bay, including Mayor Eric Genrich, who 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 its 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. Utility operators, inspectors, and engineers interested in the 2026 training schedule can find additional information at www.plasticpipe.org/mabpubs.
