The rise in use of PVC for pipes began in Germany in the 1930s. Residential drinking water was the first application for an installed PVC piping network. After the Second World War, the technology spread, as the benefits of using PVC became more widely recognised. Indeed, this versatile material is lightweight, resistant to chemicals and corrosion, and has the ability to withstand higher temperatures. By 1960, the first American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard for PVC piping had been issued.