DWP: Water Rationing Did Not Cause Pipe Blowouts
12:54 PM November 17, 2009
The agency's internal report says the destructive blowout on Coldwater at Ventura Blvd. may have triggered other water main breaks. It also shoots down the theory that water rationing caused a spike in pipe blowouts.
DWP experts concluded there's "no evidence that pressures increased as a result of watering restrictions" and "no clear correlation between watering days and the occurrence of main breaks."
The report says most of the main breaks occurred on corroded and rusty cast iron pipes:
A lot of this pipe was installed 70-90 years ago and in “very severe” or “severe” corrosive soil environment.
How long will it take the DWP to replace water mains throughout its 7200-mile system? At the current rate, the report says 180 years.
But that's an improvement over the amount of pipeline the DWP was installing in 2006. At that time, it would have taken 400 years to finish the job.
Read the report:
Download Summer '09 Water Main Leaks Prelim Investigation Rpt.
Posted by Eric Spillman | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
It is very obvious that the pipes are too old and they have to be changed, if they said that fixed will take so many years, then how many years we will still have enough water without wasted it?
Posted by: angeles napoles | November 18, 2009 at 03:58 AM
That statment makes no sense. How could the increase pressure of rationing NOT cause a blowout of old cast iron pipes that have been weaken by rust? Sounds like they are covering their butts.
Posted by: Tristan | November 17, 2009 at 01:38 PM