America Is Replacing Its Pipes: Is Ductile Iron Pipe a Good Alternative for Plastic?

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are 240,000 water main breaks each year and over the next two decades, it’ll take about $420 billion to repair and improve the nation’s water distribution and transmission systems. In addition to aging pipes there are those that pose clear health risks: In 2021, Congress allocated $15 billion specifically for replacing lead service lines. The decision that municipalities across the country will face now is what type of pipe material they should use to replace the old ones.