Water main breaks - what's causing them?
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From: Whittier, CA
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It has to do, in part, with an inadequate pace in doing scheduled and planned upgrades and repairs. This gets into local politics and union influence...the unions grease the politicians who then spec only union, city or DWP employees to do the work. No outside contractors. Thus, less work is done, and more is paid. It's not that the city or DWP guys are bad guys, it's just that there are only so many of them and at the current rate of replacement, it will take 1000 years to replace the water mains in LA.
It is part of the California madness.....
It is part of the California madness.....
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From: Whittier, CA
While I agree with that, how can that explain so many broken pipes in just this summer? The lines are of all different service lives, by different cities, different contractors, and different types of materials.
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From: Paramount, Ca
Lack of maintenance, those pipes have an expected date of life that has long been expired. It's not like the pipes at your home that only flow when you need water. They are flowing all the time and for years, decades, close to a century some. The DWP is way behind schedule on maintenance. I used to do those types of repairs with my uncle when I was a teenager. But much bigger pipes, I had the front end of my ranger in one of them one time. Those were the pipes we were working on.
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From: Lakewood, Ca.
It's just odd that there would all of a sudden be so many breaks on major lines. Or maybe it's just being reported more these days.
I'll lean toward earth movement.
I'll lean toward earth movement.
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Lead Driver
Joined: May 2007
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From: Costa Mesa, CA
Media frenzy.
I know a guy who fixes them. Worked on the Newport one which is 5 minutes from my house.
As has been stated - the pipes are all out of date and time is taking it's toll.
Random coincidence that we had a couple break in relatively close time to each other and then the media jumps on each one ofter that. It just puts it in the public eye more.
The truth is - these things are breaking all over the place all the time. Just usually the media doesn't report it.
I know a guy who fixes them. Worked on the Newport one which is 5 minutes from my house.
As has been stated - the pipes are all out of date and time is taking it's toll.
Random coincidence that we had a couple break in relatively close time to each other and then the media jumps on each one ofter that. It just puts it in the public eye more.
The truth is - these things are breaking all over the place all the time. Just usually the media doesn't report it.
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Ford Parts Specialist
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From: Simi Valley, CA
Y'all don't know the half of it!According to my (Corrosion Engineer) wife, who is the director of the Engineering Experimental Center for one of the world's largest concrete/fibreglass pipe manufacturers, this is a very common occurence.
At least THREE water mains break each week!
The water system dates back over 100 years, has been badly neglected.
There are some locations here in LA LA Land that still have the original hollowed out tree trunks (I kid you not!) that were used for pipe over 125 years ago.
There's an eight foot section of one a these tree trunks on display in her office in South Gate.
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From: Whittier, CA
Ah, so we have an expert on staff. Tree trunks, really? I was worried about lead jointed pipes.
Does she have an opinion on why it seems that so many lines are breaking recently? Is it media hype? Or are there really more this year than normal?
Posting Guru
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From: Palmdale,CA
I don't know about your neck of the woods but out here in the Antelope Valley, we have water main breaks almost on a regular basis. On one street alone there have been 4 breaks in a 1/2 mile stretch. I would lean towards the earth movement and earth quakes. My 2 cents.
Ford Parts Specialist
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From: Simi Valley, CA
THREE on average water mains break every week, and this has been going on for years!
All the water districts know all about this, but have done little or nothing to fix it. This has more to do with bureaucratic apathy than anything else.
When that line in North Hollywood broke dumping that fire truck into the sink hole, which sent the media into a feeding frenzy over it, I asked Sylvia about it.
She said "So what else is new?"
She oughtta know, as she's been involved for over 30 years in water projects from Oman to Brazil, AZ to the Orient, and damn near every place else.
The company she works for has plants all over the world, and they send her all over the world, because she is one of the most knowledgeable Corrosion Engineers in the world.
What the hell she sees in a dummy like me...I'll never know!
btw: I'll ask her about the lead jointed pipes...I kinda know what her answer will be.
Ford Parts Specialist
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From: Simi Valley, CA
The bad news is: Before 1940, pipes were connected with lead couplers (except the tree trunk versions).
The good news is: After 1940, lead couplers were not used.
The bad news is: Most of the lead couplers were never changed.
Addenum to the above correction: Sylvia said, 1401 water mains broke in LA LA Land last year!
NumberDummy trivia: I read the following jazz in...of all places...Ford Times Magazine...about ten years ago.
In Jacksonville Oregon, there is a 100 plus year old house that many of the residents of...died off...at an early age.
Locals said the house was haunted, but when the house was restored and converted into a B&B in the 1990's, a lead water tank was found in the attic.
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From: Whittier, CA
So then I would surmise, the media has latched onto this, and will play it out as the latest recession disaster, caused by Republicans who refused to raise taxes, even though they DID raise taxes, but it's obviously not enough new taxes because the water mains are breaking at an alarming rate, and without new taxes were are all going to die of thirst.
Whew, that might be my longest sentence ever. Wait while I rest ....
As for the lead pipe joints, it doesn't worry me. Those joints tend to build a layer of oxidation that limits leaching of lead into the water. Same with the lead based solder that was used in copper pipes up until they banned it. Lead lined tanks would be far worse. Numberdummy can probably tell us about the sailors that died from eating lead lined cans of food.
Whew, that might be my longest sentence ever. Wait while I rest ....
As for the lead pipe joints, it doesn't worry me. Those joints tend to build a layer of oxidation that limits leaching of lead into the water. Same with the lead based solder that was used in copper pipes up until they banned it. Lead lined tanks would be far worse. Numberdummy can probably tell us about the sailors that died from eating lead lined cans of food.
