Crumbling Urban Infrastructure – Too Close to Home

Ironically, attempt to “modernize” water pipes backfires

Oliver Street, Bordentown NJ (9/11/15)

A jackhammer inside 30 feet exceeds the pain threshold of the human ear.

And scares hell out of the dog. Even the backyard wasn’t far enough away, the racket made him howl! So he’s now pacing the living room floor and panting in obvious unease.

I can’t think either.

So, now we get to the interesting problem.

The water line in front of my house began leaking (visibly) on Wednesday and today the Bordentown Water guys are here to repair it.

It is the third water line failure in just half my block in the last few months. In fact, the jackhammer is re-opening a hole they dug to repair a water line break just a few weeks ago.

My house was built in 1900, so the water infrastructure is old.

But its not the older infrastructure that is failing.

I asked the repair guys what was causing the problem and whether all the recent breaks were related.

He told me that sometime back in the 1970’s – he emphasized “long before I was born”, making me feel ancient – the city installed plastic pipe laterals from the main line to the houses.

[Update – another worker told me the plastic lines were installed throughout the township in 1976. They are all beginning to fail. On top of that, he said last winter that had numerous cracked and frozen pipes. “If we have another bad winter, w’re in trouble.” – end update]

The plastic was a new material and assumed to be better – following a typical myth that “modern” is superior.

It was installed and packed with stones. Over time, the ground settling and vibrations have caused the stones to crack the plastic pipe.

I asked the man if that plastic pipe was installed through all of Bordentown – he shrugged. He either honestly didn’t know or wouldn’t answer my question.

Heckofajob!

It would make an interesting story for an intrepid reporter to investigate how widespread installation of that kind of plastic pipe is and how much those mistakes are now costing NJ local governments, water ratepayers, and taxpayers.

Do we now have enforceable controls in place to prevent similar problems in the future?

That would be important to know, particularly as NJ becomes the gas pipeline state.

Is anyone game for that?

[Update – 12:45 pm – Uh oh. After re-opening the hole and shutting off the water, the water kept flowing, leading to a more extensive search for the source of the leak.The assumption was that it was my neighbor’s lateral.

The jackhammer has started up again as they are expanding the hole in search of the source of the leak. It is either my lateral of the next neighbor’s.

We’ll keep you posted! ~~~ end update]