Costs for water supply distribution system rehabilitation

There is growing concern over the need to rehabilitate, replace, and repair drinking water distribution systems and wastewater collection systems in the United States. A recent survey conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that $138 billion will be needed to maintain and replace existing drinking water systems over the next 20 years. It is estimated that $77 billion of this expenditure will be dedicated to repairing and rehabilitating pipelines. Given the cost and disruption caused by replacing distribution system pipe using conventional open trench technology, utilities are beginning to increase the application of rehabilitation or trenchless replacement technologies to extend the life of existing pipes. This paper discusses the various types of technologies that can be used for rehabilitation and repair of drinking water distribution components. It also presents representative costs that can be used by utility managers to estimate order-of-magnitude budgetary costs for rehabilitation and replacement of distribution system components. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9496(2002)128:4(303) CE Database keywords: Water distribution; Costs; Pipes; Rehabilitation; Excavation; Trenching; Replacement.