Strengthening Transit Through Community Partnerships
Below-zero temperatures expected Saturday will rise into the 30s on Sunday – a relief for many local residents, but a potential problem for those responsible for local water lines.
Public works officials say more water mains could break, increasing the toll taken on aging water systems.
“Dramatic swings in temperature from below to above freezing can cause problems with our buried infrastructure,” said Brianna Wooten, Montgomery County, OH Environmental Services communications coordinator.
Nationally, water mains rupture 240,000 times a year. The breaks along with faulty valves waste about 2.1 trillion gallons of treated drinking water a year, according to the Center for Neighborhood Technology. The loss equates to wasting roughly 14 percent of the already-treated water Americans use every day.