The average water main in Dallas is 42 years old, and the costs of updating the city's water mains are estimated at $55 million a year. The problem: Dallas doesn’t even know where to start.
Robert Wilonsky reports on an audit released earlier this month finding that Dallas Water Utilities "isn’t doing a very good job of making sure it’s replacing enough water mains to keep up with the city’s 'long-term infrastructure needs.'"
"Long story short, says the briefing, DWU doesn’t really have a set target replacement rate for how many miles of lines it’s supposed to fix every year. Per the audit there’s about 59 miles’ worth of wiggle room, which is way too much wiggle, says the audit. Even worse: It’s not clear if the lines being repaired and replaced are carrying drinking water or wastewater."
The audit follows an "uptick in water main breaks" around the city, reported last August.
Read the full story: Audit: Dallas isn’t doing a good job ID’ing its bad water mains — or replacing them fast enough
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Replacing lead pipes in Chicago costs more than 6 times the national average — and authorities can't explain why
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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.
‘Going backwards:’ Baltimore mayor, students rally against state's transit funding plan
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Detroit to transform waterfront with $2.2 billion investment
Developers will convert about 18 acres of unused parking lot space into civic spaces.
Newsom vetoes high-speed rail supervision bill after agency receives condemnatory audit
The audit found the CHSRA approved almost $600,000 in unallowable travel expenses.
Nation sees first electric plane-boat hybrid take off in public demo
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One of nation’s poorest counties to receive $6 billion data center
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The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
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