Sofia. Bulgarian monks of an ancient and beautiful monastery on a holy mountain in Greece have decided to modernise their water supply system. A project to deliver drinking water to this historic site and to modernise water treatment facilities is now being undertaken by Pipelife in Bulgaria. For the last thousand years, the Saint George Zograf monastery on the Athos peninsular has been home to Bulgarian orthodox monks. “Spiritual devotion in this monastery has always taken precedence over physical requirements of its devotees. However, the daily water needs for its thirty monks and visitors eventually called for drastic modernisation of water supply and facilities,” according to Alex Hairabedian, General Manager of Pipelife in Bulgaria. The company is therefore supplying a 15 km pipeline to deliver drinking water and a water treatment plant that will be able to cater for the needs of up to 150 visitors to this secluded sanctuary. Before committing to the improvements, the monks had to deliberate over the virtues of various choices open to them. After some reflection, the monks ordered Pipelife’s Robust Pipe, a double wall PE pipe that offers particular benefits in terms of additional security and cost savings. “Soil conditions in this mountainous region of Greece are difficult,” explains Alex. “But the outside wall of Robust Pipe is made of foamed PE. It acts like a cushion to protect the internal pipe from abrasion, scoring or damage. This resistance to rock impingement has ensured the integrity of the pipeline. And because the pipe can be installed without expensive sand bedding and soil disposal, installation costs are minimised.” “This pipe network comprises diameters of 63 and 110 mm. Jointing through the electrofusion method has further accelerated completion time.” Alex Hairabedian points out that as a result, the monastical mains will be completed before schedule in December this year. “One of the many traditions of this religious community is to welcome the visitor with a glass of crystal clear water to replenish the thirst. This has been the case for a thousand years. Thanks to the robust providence of the water supply, this tradition will endure.” Further information: alex.hairabedian@pipelife.bg