Report: CT Water Spent $17M on Pipes in 2017, Plans Another $17M

Connecticut Water officials on Thursday said that, in 2017, more than $17 million was invested in replacing aging pipeline.

In 2018, the utility plans to spend an additional $17.4 million "to continue enhancing system reliability with pipe replacement."

Craig C. Patla, Connecticut Water’s vice president of service delivery, stated, “Connecticut Water is at the forefront of investing in replacing aging water mains. The company has replaced more than 118 miles of water main at a cost of more than $139 million since 2008. The pipe replaced had an average age of 75 years. We understand that families and communities depend on our water systems now and will continue to rely on them for safe drinking water, public health and public safety in the future.”

The pipe has been replaced through the Water Infrastructure and Conservation Adjustment (WICA) program, officials said. Through WICA, Connecticut Water has replaced approximately 7.5 percent of its distribution system, officials said.

Patla said that, since Christmas Day, Connecticut Water crews have responded to more than 30 water main breaks in its 1,600 miles of water main across Connecticut.

“Undoubtedly there would have been many more breaks if it had not been for pipe already replaced under WICA," he said. "We prioritized pipe replacement on a number of factors including its age and history of prior breaks. Older cast-iron pipe is more brittle than current materials and is more susceptible to breaking due to shifting ground caused by the kind of extreme temperature changes we have seen recently.”

In addition to improving reliability and water quality, replacing old pipe reduces lost water from leaks and breaks, reduces the environmental impact of pumping and treating that lost water, and can improve the amount of water available to fire hydrants on the system.

An analysis done by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development estimates that water company investment of more than $17 million in the 2017 WICA program supported 177 jobs in Connecticut.

The costs of these projects are covered through "modest surcharges" on customers’ bills, Patla said.

Photo Credit: CT Water