01-40_WC_149_JUL-AUG26_PT - Flipbook - Page 25
Watermainbreaksrepresentfarmorethanisolated
infrastructurefailures.Theyarethesymptomsof
interrelatedchallengesinagingsystems,emergency
responseprotocols,andlong-termriskmanagement.
CITY OF CALGARY
Water main failures are rarely sudden accidents. More often, they are the result of aging infrastructure under long-term stress,
occasionally combined with real-time triggering events.
so-called water hammer events can trigger immediate
failure or contribute to eventual system breakdowns.
DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. If water mains are not
maintained properly, minor issues can escalate into
full pipe failures. Delayed inspections, repairs, or
replacements increase the likelihood of a water system
emergency. Yet, many cities and towns miss their
own deadlines. Research indicates that nearly one in
five water mains in the United States and Canada—
totaling 452,000 miles of pipe—have exceeded
their useful lives but have not been replaced due to
insufficient funding.
WATERCANADA.NE T
CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY. Construction activity on
or near municipal infrastructure can be a culprit
of water main breaks. Even with safety measures
in place, excavation crews can accidentally strike
underground pipes or, more commonly, compromise
their structural integrity. Soil displacement and
high-amplitude vibration are among the forces that
can serve as triggering mechanisms in systems already
weakened by age or other elements.
This list is not exhaustive but demonstrates several of
the intertwined forces that must be untangled to accurately assess one or more causes of a water main break.
WATER C AN ADA • JULY/AUGUS T 2026
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