Water main break rates in the USA and Canada: A comprehensive study

Municipalities and the people they serve depend on pipe networks that provide safe drinking water. This piping is underground, out of sight and often neglected.

The water main break rates presented in this report are based on pipe characteristics and failures reported by the utilities that responded. Utilities were given the opportunity to respond to either a basic or detailed survey which gathered information on water pipe materials, pipe diameters, pipe age, system operating characteristics and water main failures. The report discusses the importance of water main break data in the context of asset management planning.

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