Underground water and sewer pipes are aging out

Wrangell is facing a network of aging underground utilities. Some pipes are up to 70 years old, said Tom Wetor, public works director.

Since the first of the year, at least five water and sewer line leaks have sprung up around town.

Wetor explained that a lot of the underground utility work was done in the 1980s and is beginning to age out.

He explained that the environment in Wrangell is particularly harsh and causes pipes to degrade faster than they should. A lot of the pipes in town are made of ductile iron, which he said were estimated to last 50 to 60 years when they were installed. But h...

 
 

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