When serving as Mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell was surprised by a sudden need to replace a number of water supply pipes. Following a prolonged cold period, the Philadelphia temperature suddenly warmed to over 50 degrees, causing 58 water pipes to burst throughout the city. Rendell recalls that the city’s water management team reported back that many of the pipes were installed in the 19th century and were not buried deep enough to avoid the stress caused by the rapid change in temperatures.
Although few utilities currently use equipment brought into service during the 1800s, managing aging infrastructure is an ever present challenge for most water providers. Most utilities grew up along with their communities, providing increased services to meet the need of a growing consumer population. Building new facilities to meet increasing need only made sense and new customers meant additional revenue to the provider.
