U.S. Potable Water Pipes Need Repair
Much of the nation’s water distribution system will need to be replaced in the next three decades, according to a report by the National Research Council. Many of the 1 million miles of pipes that carry drinking water to Americans throughout the nation are nearing the end of their expected life span, the report said, and an increasing proportion of waterborne disease outbreaks are linked to contamination of distribution systems.
“The water industry is entering an era where it will have to make substantial investments in pipe assessment, repair and replacement,” the report said.
The type and age of the pipes that make up the nation’s water distribution system range from cast iron pipes installed during the late 19th century to ductile iron pipe and to plastic pipes installed in the 1970s and beyond. The report finds that most water systems and distribution pipes will be reaching the end of their expected lives within the next 30 years.
The study calls on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to work with states to establish consistent “cross-connection” control programs and to improve and unify plumbing codes. It also calls on the federal agency to conduct or fund epidemiology studies that specifically target the distribution system component of waterborne disease.
“Current regulatory programs have not removed the potential for outbreaks attributable to distribution system-related factors,” the report said. “Data on waterborne disease outbreaks, both microbial and chemical, suggest that distribution systems remain a source of contamination that has yet to be fully addressed.”
The report recommends regular inspection of water storage facilities and improved sanitary practices during installation, repair, replacement, and rehabilitation of distribution system infrastructure, as well as new research into external and internal pipe corrosion.
Provided by the Environmental News Service.
