Lahore, June 2026 – Punjab is making a quiet but groundbreaking shift in urban infrastructure by introducing sewage pipes designed to last 100 years, replacing the reinforced concrete pipes that typically fail within 25. This technical upgrade, though unglamorous, could prove one of the province’s most consequential infrastructure changes in a generation.
For decades, corrosion has eaten through concrete pipes in as little as two decades, triggering costly repairs, service disruptions, and public safety risks. Under the Punjab Cities Inclusive Program, the World Bank Group worked with the provincial government to identify a better solution. The answer was high-density polyethylene (HDPE) lining, applied inside traditional concrete pipes to prevent corrosion, reduce leaks, and extend lifespans fourfold.
To build confidence in the technology, officials visited the Singapore Water Centre, one of the world’s most advanced sewerage systems, where they saw HDPE lining in action. “Seeing how Singapore manages its sewerage systems gave us the confidence to move fast,” said Zahid Aziz, PICP Project Director and former Managing Director of Lahore’s Water and Sanitation Agency.
Punjab then moved quickly to establish local manufacturing capacity, importing equipment from China and setting up Pakistan’s first facility to produce HDPE-lined concrete pipes domestically. This shift reduces reliance on imports, lowers costs, and stimulates industrial activity, creating a new subsector in advanced sewerage materials.
The benefits are significant:
Lower costs – Extended lifespans cut replacement capital expenditure by about 75% over the lifecycle, while fewer repairs reduce operational costs.
Market development – Local production reduces procurement delays and foreign exchange exposure, while creating jobs and industrial growth.
Reduced public risk – Stronger pipes lower the chances of collapses, flooding, and wastewater leakage, improving public health and safety.
Punjab’s experience highlights how infrastructure transformation depends not just on technology or funding, but on global knowledge-sharing, international collaboration, and government ownership. By combining these elements, the province has built sewerage systems designed to last a century, setting a new benchmark for resilience and sustainability in urban infrastructure.
This initiative demonstrates how global best practices, when adapted locally, can deliver transformative results — turning overlooked technical upgrades into milestones for long-term development.
