Old wooden pipes and failing water mains highlight the infrastructural water challenges facing many communities.
"Its wooden planks are lashed together with a coil of metal as if each section of pipe were a long, narrow barrel. And while the small stretch beneath the ground here may seem more Swiss Family Robinson than 21st century, it is not unique to Chelan.
Water officials say they believe that a handful of wooden water mains are still in use in South Dakota, Alaska and Pennsylvania, among other places. The old wood pipes offer a vivid reminder of the age and fragility of the nation's drinking water systems, many of which rely heavily on old pipes that often remain out of sight and mind - until they burst.
And they are bursting with alarming frequency in many areas these days, particularly in systems coping with septuagenarian, octogenarian, and even century-old pipes. There are an estimated 240,000 water main breaks each year in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's Aging Water Infrastructure Research Program, and some water experts fear that the problem is getting worse."
FULL STORY: Aging of Water Mains Is Becoming Hard to Ignore
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Conservation Efforts Straining Water Infrastructure
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The High Costs of America's Aging Water Infrastructure
As part of its extensive coverage of water issues in the U.S., The New York Times looks at the aging water systems that plague American cities and what it would cost to fix them.
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing
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LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.
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