Former Philadelphia Mayor and current Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell has seen his share of interesting events in his public service life. A prolonged cold spell during Rendell’s tenure as Mayor was once followed by a rapid warm-up. Rendell recalls that as the temperature suddenly warmed, water supply pipes began bursting throughout the city. In all, 58 water pipes broke, creating quite a municipal problem. Philadelphia water department managers later reported back to the Mayor’s office that many of the pipes that burst were installed back in the 1800s and were installed too near the surface to withstand the sudden temperature change.
Aging infrastructure is a problem for many communities and public utilities. As communities grew over the years, demands on sewage systems and water providers all increased. Within the water utility industry, building more treatment plants and other big-ticket facilities made clear economic sense when communities were expanding. More customers meant more utility revenue. New facility construction was made possible by increased sales of water and sewer services.
