Tampa Vs. Aging Infrastructure
By Sara Jerome,
@sarmje
Water main breaks and leaky pipes are bringing Tampa's water infrastructure into the public eye, reflecting a pattern in cities across the U.S.
The city averages about eight pipeline breaks per day, according to Fox 13 Tampa Bay. In August, two water mains broke in one week, leaving "crews busy with repairs, and commuters navigating detours," the report said.
"It wasn't immediately clear how much the fixes will cost, but the city is prepared to spend at least $30 million over the next three years to fix old pipes," the report said.
Issues with valves contributed to each of the breaks.
"The water department says the dual breakages are unrelated, but were caused by the same thing: Valves closing near both locations caused the water to suddenly back up, like a car wreck, increasing the pressure inside the pipes," the report said.
Tampa Water Department Director Brad Baird noted, "That force can result in a pipeline rupturing."
The underlying problem is the city's aging infrastructure.
"Officials say the age of the pipes didn't help either. But Baird points out that the water department is two years into a five-year plan to replace pipes all over the city. Neither of the two recently ruptured pipes were on the schedule, showing how unpredictable and expensive it can be to take care of an aging water system," the report said.
Rick Ferreira, CEO of the engineering firm Jones Edmunds, which has offices in Tampa, pointed to the water main breaks in a recent editorial calling for infrastructure improvements.
The ruptures "snarled traffic at busy intersections," he wrote in the Tampa Tribune. "City officials said the age of the pipes was not a factor, but one of the pipes is 60 years old, while the other is 50."
"The answer to solving difficult infrastructure problems lies in the innovative and intelligent application of engineering and science technology," he wrote.
In a 2012 report published by the American Society of Civil Engineers, Tampa Bay received a C+ on its water infrastructure and a D on its stormwater infrastructure.
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