SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities is sending out a warning to residents of the city that during the coming winter months, they can expect to see more water main breaks.
The utility says that water main breaks are common in water systems nationwide and occur when a crack or hole in the water main allows water to seep to the surface. The main factors behind the breaks are aging infrastructure, spikes in high water flow and pressure within a small area, heavy construction nearby, corrosive soil or environmental interactions with pipes, geological changes (ground shifts or earthquakes), or utility work happening "upstream" of the break.
Salt Lake City's water distribution network, when you account for valves, fire hydrants, and other fixtures, is comprised of 1,324 miles of pipe. The utility company says they are continuously working to replace aging infrastructure within that system. They estimate that 15% of the water pipes in the city are around 100 years old. That's just under 200 miles of pipe.
While some factors are out of the control of the utility company they say their tracking shows that the monthly average of water main breaks in the city during 2023-2024 were at their lowest since 2016-2017.
Comparing water main breaks by year:
- 432 main breaks between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020
- 431 main breaks between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021
- 452 main breaks between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022
- 438 main breaks between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023
The reason for more water main breaks happening during winter months is that cold snaps cause the ground to contract, which the utility says can put stress on some of the main water pipes. That change can then lead to cracks or other flaws in the pipe and allow water to escape.
Once a water main break, crews have to isolate and diagnose the leak. Depending on the size and location, it can take some time to find the actual source of the break. Then crews have to consult with Blue Stakes to confirm where they are working is safe to dig in and won't cause further damage.
From then crews will begin work on repairs and restoring service.
